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‘I still don’t think that Turkey will fulfill Copenhagen criteria´

17. Dezember 2004 F.A.Z. Weekly. In the days leading up to the decision by the leaders of the European Union on membership negotiations with Turkey, former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl discussed the issue with editors of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Kohl, a driving force behind the European Union during his 16 years in office, remains skeptical about the possibility that Turkey could join the union one day.

The European Council, which is formed by the heads of state and government in the European Union, has been considering whether to open membership negotiations with Turkey. It is also being said that these talks would be neutral, ensuring that they could end with an approval or a rejection. How do you evaluate the issue?

Helmut Kohl: I have never changed my opinion about Turkey’s possible admission to the European Union. I still don’t think Turkey will fulfill the Copenhagen criteria. The criteria laid down by the European Council in 1993 say, among other things, that a country wanting to join the union must have a solid democratic and legal structure, and protect human rights. That includes protection for minorities and freedom of religion.

Whenever anyone discusses the Turkish question in the way that I do, he is characterized as a villain. That has been the case recently. This is the approach that the Turkish prime minister (Recep Tayyip Erdogan) has taken toward the Christian Democratic Union. I don’t have anything against Turkey. The Turks have always been friends of Germany. They took in many German refugees during the time of Nazi Germany. While I was chancellor, I worked with the Americans on behalf of the Turks. I find it odd that I am called an enemy of Turkey because of my position on membership negotiations.

What would happen if Turkey did fulfill the criteria?

I don’t know how the situation will look several decades from now. But based on my assessment of the situation in Turkey, I don’t think Turkey will fulfill the Copenhagen criteria in the foreseeable future. Turkey has undertaken extraordinary efforts to reach a point where it would qualify for membership. There is no question about that. But the key issue is whether the EU will consider the qualification for membership in a way that could really lead to acceptance or rejection. The review must be conducted in a serious manner. It must be understandable and examinable, and cannot be conducted under time pressure. A serious review will last at least 10, 15 years. …

As far as the criteria go, a detailed review of the question of whether Turkey enforces human rights must be conducted. Most of all, freedom of religion must be guaranteed. The reason that we put so much emphasis on this is related to the basic rights that members of the EU have pledged to uphold. The accusation that the EU is a ”club of Christians” amounts to a vicious misrepresentation of the situation. Anyone in the EU can practice his religion as he wishes. Berlin is a perfect example of this. The Muslims are the third-largest religious community there after the Protestants and Catholics. They can practice their religion without any restrictions.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has been promoting Turkey’s membership.

Above all, Mr. Schröder wants to win elections and hopes to win over Turks living in Germany who have the right to vote. … We Germans should base our position on clear principles. Despite what others do, we should not promise Turkey anything that we cannot deliver.

The interview was conducted by Georg Paul Hefty,
Berthold Kohler and Günther Nonnenmacher.

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