The political party of German Chancellor Angela Merkel has rejected the possibility of Turkey joining the European Union saying that the countries entry would overburden the region due to its size and economy.
The Christian Democratic Union Party and its smaller sister group the Christian Social Union have long been against Turkey’s membership to the 27-nation bloc but so far have not stood in the way of EU accession talks, that was until now.
The German stance has hardened in recent weeks because of the ongoing protests taking place across Turkey. They are particularly critical of the tough response of the Turkish police as they crush protests being held against Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan.
On Monday the German Chancellor revealed that she was ‘appalled’ at Turkeys handling of the protest, which has turned into fierce clashes has seen police use tear gas and water cannon to disperse missile throwing demonstrators.
“We want strong cooperation between the European Union and Turkey, as well as close strategic collaboration on foreign and security questions,” a 125-page draft report by the CDU/CSU reads.
“We reject full membership for Turkey, because the country does not meet the criteria for joining the EU. The country would overburden the European Union because of its size and the structure of its economy.”
Germany is Turkey’s largest trading partner in the EU and is also home to around three million Turks, the largest number of Turkish immigrants in Europe. The comments are likely to create ill feeling between the two nations as Erdogan continues to tow the hard-line as he seeks to crush his detractors.
He escalated the situation yesterday after threatening to deploy the military to stamp out the protestors.
Current Euro (EUR) Exchange Rates
The Euro/US Dollar Exchange Rate is currently in the region of: 1.3402
The Euro/Pound Sterling Exchange Rate is currently in the region of: 0.8577
The Euro/Australian Dollar Exchange Rate is currently in the region of: 1.4153
The Euro/ New Zealand Dollar Exchange Rate is currently in the region of: 1.6778
The US Dollar/Euro Exchange Rate is currently in the region of: 0.7469
The Pound Sterling /Euro Exchange Rate is currently in the region of: 1.1657
The Australian Dollar/Euro Exchange Rate is currently in the region of: 0.7072
The New Zealand Dollar/Euro Exchange Rate is currently in the region of: 0.5965
(Correct as of 16:15 pm GMT)
