Merkel would accept Turkey’s EU membership

Speaking to Turkish businessmen alongside Prime Minister Erdogan at the Turkish-German Economy Forum, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that while she preferred the idea of Turkey having only a privileged partnership with the EU, Germany would “remain faithful to the pacta sunt servada (principle of good faith) and abide by any commitments within the framework of [EU] agreements.” Praising Turkey’s EU reform progress so far, Merkel added that Turkey still had a ways to go before acceptance.