ANKARA, Turkey, April 19 (UPI) -- Turkey's hopes to become a European Union member are being undermined, particularly after the killing of three employees from a Christian publishing house.
According to the latest information, the three men -- a German and two Turkish nationals -- were killed Wednesday in southeastern Anatolia; another man was injured and hospitalized.
The killings have sparked an outcry of protest, especially in Germany.
Ronald Pofalla, secretary-general of Chancellor Angela Merkel's center-right Christian Democratic Union, said in a statement Ankara had to ask itself whether it did enough to prevent the killing, which was preceded by "explicit threats."
CNN Turkey speculated that the killers may stem from Islamist circles and singled out the Turkish Hezbollah, a Kurdish group seeking to turn secular Turkey into an Islamic state.
Observers fear an increase of inter-religious tensions. Living conditions of minorities in Turkey are threatened, they say, and cite several killings of Christians in recent months.
The killings are especially unfortunate as they come just a few weeks after Pope Benedict XVI managed to mend ties with Turkey following his controversial comments about the violence of Islam. His visit had passed surprisingly smoothly, and it was accompanied by several harmonious meetings with Turkish political and religious leaders.
Turkey is currently in accession talks with the European Union, but public opposition against Turkey's EU membership has increased in the 27 member states.
