Duitse Christendemocraten maken Turks lidmaatschap tot inzet verkiezingen EP (en)

The question of Turkish membership of the EU is set to become a key question in the German Christian Democrat's European election campaign next spring.

Ccomments following last week's bombs in Istanbul have already prompted fierce debate and controversy around statements made by various CDU-CSU members after the attacks.

The vice chairman of the CDU, Wolfgang Bosbach, is reported to have said that Turkish EU membership would "import terror problems" into the European Union.

The Justice Minister of Bavaria, Günther Beckstein (CSU) expressed a similar view. According to Die Welt, Mr Beckstein said that a quick accession to the EU would "not be in our interest" due to current security levels in Turkey.

Inappropriate

Linking EU membership with the terror attacks was however seen by many as inappropriate.

"Characterless" said the Chancellor Gerhard Schröeder.

His foreign minister Joschka Fischer did not comment but on Monday (24 November) he paid a hastily organised visit to Turkey in an act of solidarity.

The four terror attacks in Istanbul have so far cost the lives of 55 people, with some 750 people suffering injuries.

Even some of Mr Bosbach's own party friends disapproved.

A Foreign expert of the Christian Democrat party Friedbert Pflüger said, according to TAZ, "the Union [Christian Democrat] does not allow its foreign policy agenda to be dictated by Osama bin Laden".

The CDU MEP Elmar Brok, chairman of the European Parliament foreign affairs committee said to the Berliner Inforadio: "I am against Turkish EU membership, because the political criteria are not fulfilled".

He added however, that it was "negative" to link Turkish membership to the terror attacks.

500,000 Germans of Turkish origin

This internal German battle over Turkey's EU future is seen by many as a small test of what will be the main theme of the June 2004 European elections.

Around 500,000 Germans of Turkish origin are entitled to vote in the European elections.

In the last federal elections some 60% of them voted for the Social Democrats and some 17% for the Greens.

Only 12% cast their vote in favour of the Christian Democrats.

The roadmap for Turkish EU membership was drawn last December at the European Council in Copenhagen. By the end of 2004 membership negotiations with Turkey should begin, provided the country fulfils the economic and political conditions required by the Copenhagen criteria of 1993.