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MERKEL SAYS SHOCKED AT TURKEY'S TOUGH RESPONSE TO PROTESTS
June 17, 2013 - 15:22 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday, June
17 she was shocked at Turkey's tough response to anti-government
protests but she stopped short of demanding that the European Union
call off accession talks with the candidate country, Reuters reported.
"I'm appalled, like many others," Merkel said of Turkey's handling of
two weeks of unrest that began over a redevelopment project in an
Istanbul park but has grown into broader protest against Prime
Minister Tayyip Erdogan's government.
"I would like to see those who have criticism, who have a different
opinion and a different idea of society, having some space in a Turkey
that moves into the 21st century," Merkel told German broadcaster RTL.
Asked whether Ankara's response to the protests was in line with the
way an EU accession candidate should act, Merkel said: "What's
happening in Turkey at the moment is not in line with our idea of the
freedom to demonstrate or freedom of speech.
"They are terrible images. ... I can only hope that the problems will
be solved peacefully," she said in the German TV interview, which was
due to be aired later on Monday.
EU politicians are divided on whether interrupting accession talks
would help or hamper Turkey's democratization process.
EU officials say Germany is reluctant to open a new area of
negotiation with Turkey this month. Berlin denies any direct link with
the latest events but the foreign ministry says talks that began in
2005 were going to be a "very, very long process".
Merkel has backed Turkish accession talks while at the same time
expressing skepticism about its future EU membership.
Speaking just before departing for a Group of Eight summit in Northern
Ireland, Merkel reiterated her position that Germany would not arm
rebels fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The G8 summit was set for a clash between U.S. President Barack Obama,
who is now ready to send weapons to Syrian rebels, and Russia's
Vladimir Putin, who backs the Syrian government.
"We do not supply weapons ourselves. We do not contribute to that.
That's against our rules," Merkel said. "Russia must play a role in
the process. Otherwise there will be no peace."
June 17, 2013 - 15:22 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday, June
17 she was shocked at Turkey's tough response to anti-government
protests but she stopped short of demanding that the European Union
call off accession talks with the candidate country, Reuters reported.
"I'm appalled, like many others," Merkel said of Turkey's handling of
two weeks of unrest that began over a redevelopment project in an
Istanbul park but has grown into broader protest against Prime
Minister Tayyip Erdogan's government.
"I would like to see those who have criticism, who have a different
opinion and a different idea of society, having some space in a Turkey
that moves into the 21st century," Merkel told German broadcaster RTL.
Asked whether Ankara's response to the protests was in line with the
way an EU accession candidate should act, Merkel said: "What's
happening in Turkey at the moment is not in line with our idea of the
freedom to demonstrate or freedom of speech.
"They are terrible images. ... I can only hope that the problems will
be solved peacefully," she said in the German TV interview, which was
due to be aired later on Monday.
EU politicians are divided on whether interrupting accession talks
would help or hamper Turkey's democratization process.
EU officials say Germany is reluctant to open a new area of
negotiation with Turkey this month. Berlin denies any direct link with
the latest events but the foreign ministry says talks that began in
2005 were going to be a "very, very long process".
Merkel has backed Turkish accession talks while at the same time
expressing skepticism about its future EU membership.
Speaking just before departing for a Group of Eight summit in Northern
Ireland, Merkel reiterated her position that Germany would not arm
rebels fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The G8 summit was set for a clash between U.S. President Barack Obama,
who is now ready to send weapons to Syrian rebels, and Russia's
Vladimir Putin, who backs the Syrian government.
"We do not supply weapons ourselves. We do not contribute to that.
That's against our rules," Merkel said. "Russia must play a role in
the process. Otherwise there will be no peace."