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Erdogan Slams Germany For Opposing Turkey'S EU Full Membership Bid

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  • Erdogan Slams Germany For Opposing Turkey'S EU Full Membership Bid

    ERDOGAN SLAMS GERMANY FOR OPPOSING TURKEY'S EU FULL MEMBERSHIP BID

    PanARMENIAN.Net
    November 2, 2011 - 11:50 AMT

    PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has
    accused Germany in a newspaper interview of letting Turkey down
    by not doing more to support its European Union membership bid and
    failing to recognize Turks' efforts to integrate in German society,
    Reuters reported.

    The interview appeared in Wednesday's, November 2, edition of the
    mass-circulation paper Bild, hours before Erdogan meets Chancellor
    Angela Merkel in Berlin for a ceremony commemorating the 50th
    anniversary of the labor pact which brought large numbers of Turkish
    workers to Germany.

    Ties between the two leaders are strained because of Merkel's deep
    reservations about Turkey joining the EU, and Erdogan's speeches to
    the Turkish community on previous trips to Germany, in which he urged
    Turks not to forget their roots.

    Asked what he considered German politicians' biggest failing over
    integration, Erdogan said: "German politicians do not acknowledge
    enough the integration of the three million Turks in Germany."

    "Germany should do much more for Turkey's EU membership bid as this
    would massively support integration. Because we Turks regard Germany
    very positively, we feel very let down on this issue," he added.

    Instead of full membership Merkel favors a "privileged partnership"
    for Turkey, whose 74 million people are predominantly Muslim.

    Describing Turks as open and loyal, Erdogan said Germany should
    show much more solidarity with Turkey. He also criticized Germany's
    opposition to dual citizenship and laws which oblige any Turks moving
    to Germany to speak good German before arrival, saying this infringed
    their human rights.

    "If a young Turkish man loves a woman in Turkey and wants to marry
    her, this is seen as a mistake, as Germany demands that she first
    learn German. But what is the language of love?" he said.

    "It cannot be that the love of young people is only allowed to exist
    in German by decree."

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