Merkel: I Promise not to Hinder Negotiations Once they Begin

CHP leader Deniz Baykal, (CHP) said that German CDU’s leader Angela Merkel will not hinder Turkey’s EU membership. Baykal said that , his deputy Onur Oymen received a word from Merkel that “We shall not hinder it, if negotiations between Turkey and EU begin.” “A dinner was hosted for Merkel at the German Embassy last week. Deputies from both AKP and CHP attended. At the dinner, Onur Oymen apparently squeezed Ms. Merkel a lot. Merkel maintained her view that Turkey must not be a EU member, but then said that; If membership talks begin between Turkey and EU before we come into power, then CDU will honor the promise made by EU. Baykal told that, “You see, it was Onur Oymen, whom you dubbed as opposing EU membership, who received such a promise; after the dinner he rushed to give the good news to me!“Everyone claims that I am putting on pressures (on the government) to prevent progress towards EU. Who can want this more than I do? I am a person, who had spent the biggest efforts as a foreign minister, to pass the Customs Union agreement from EP. Even if we wave hesitations about its content, we then said that “This agreement is a must, to open the doors of the Customs Union, to us.“Turkey’s admission to EU is a big, historical, strategic event. IT is the integration of a young and dynamic society of 70 million, to Europe. IT is the opening of a foreign trade volume over 100 billion dollars, to the EU economy.�