Debat over Turks lidmaatschap heropend door aanslagen in Istanbul (en)

The terrorist attacks in Istanbul, which killed 27 people, have reopened the debate about Turkish membership of the European Union.

During a visit to the scene of the bombing in Istanbul, UK Foreign Secretary said "far from this hurting Turkey's application to join the European Union, it will increase the determination of all of us to see Turkey a full member of the European Union".

Later at a news conference, Mr Straw added that the atrocity "simply strengthens our will and determination to do everything we can to ensure Turkey becomes a full member as soon as possible".

For its part the European Commission was reluctant to comment on whether the attacks would harm Turkey's process of democratic reform.

"It is too early to say whether or not this (bombing) can have an effect on the reform process in Turkey. We reiterate the full support of the European Union to this political reform process engaged in by Turkey in the past two to three years," said a spokesperson for enlargement Commission Guenter Verheugen.

"Turkey's aspiration as a member of the European Union is beyond any question," said the spokesperson.

He added that he did not want to speculate on whether the attacks would lead to the military tightening its grip on the country again simply saying that the democratic process should be "pursued and reinforced".

Germany

In Germany, however, the attacks have already sparked heated debate about Turkish membership of the EU.

Some Christian Democrat politicians claim the attacks work against Turkey EU aspirations.

Wolfgang Bosbach, the deputy chair of the Christian Democrat CDU/CSU fraction said "With quick EU membership, the terror problem would be imported into the EU".

Similarly, Ingo Friedrich Vice-President of the European Parliament and a German Christian Democrat said Islamists would "strengthen their terror" if Turkey joined.

However, German Interior Minister Otto Schily said to German television on Thursday (20 November) that it would be wrong to block Ankara's possibility to join the EU.

"The answer to what has happened in Istanbul can only mean that we must co-operate with Turkey more closely. And that we seriously negotiate the possibility of Turkey's entry into the EU however long that might take".

The politically sensitive question of membership is still very much in the open. EU leaders agreed at the end of 2002 that at the December summit next year, the decision would be taken on whether Turkey has implemented the necessary political and human rights reforms to begin accession negotiations.