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Turkey blasts Germay's Merkel, Schulz on threat to end EU bid

By Allen Cone
German Chancellor Angela Merkel (L) and and her opponent Martin Schulz shake hands before their televised debate Sunday in Berlin. They both don't want Turkey joining the European Union, which angered Ankara. Photo by pool/German TV broadcaster WDR/EPA
German Chancellor Angela Merkel (L) and and her opponent Martin Schulz shake hands before their televised debate Sunday in Berlin. They both don't want Turkey joining the European Union, which angered Ankara. Photo by pool/German TV broadcaster WDR/EPA

Sept. 4 (UPI) -- Turkey has reacted strongly to comments by German Chancellor and her debate opponent for calls to end Ankara's talks of joining the European Union.

Ibrahim Kalin, the spokesman for Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said Monday that Germany is fueling "discrimination and racism" with recent comments.

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Kalin said the tone of the televised debate reflected the "narrow political horizon" in Europe. In a post on Twitter, he said it doesn't matter what party wins the German elections on Sept. 24 because "it is now clear which mentality will win."

During the televised debate, the German chancellor said she did not believe Turkey should become a member of the European Union and would discuss with her EU partners ending accession talks with Ankara.

Martin Schulz, her rival, said if he became the next chancellor, he would be much more candid than Merkel in his criticism of Turkey's violation of human rights under Erdogan.

Kalin said the focus on Turkey diverted attention from more pressing problems.

"It is not a coincidence that our president, Erdogan, was a main topic of the debate," Kalin tweeted, criticitzicing German politicians' "indulgence in populism."

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"We hope the problematic atmosphere that made Turkish-German relations the victim of this narrow political horizon will end," he wrote.

Steffen Seibert, who is Merkel's spokesman, said the chancellor hasn't changed her opinion on Turkey. "At the moment, Turkey is not at all in a position to join the European Union," he said.

The European commission referred to a speech made by its president, Jean-Claude Juncker, last week, where he said the Turkish government was "making it impossible for Turkey to join the European Union."

EU leaders plan to discuss relations with Turkey at their next European Council meeting at the end of October, and consider whether to end accession talks. Approval into the EU would require the unanimous vote of the 28-member bloc.

Last month, Erdogan urged Turkish nationals in Germany not to vote for Merkel's Christian Democratic Union, Martin Schulz's Social Democratic Party of Germany or the Greens in the upcoming elections, calling those parties "enemies of Turkey."

Merkel said she favors increased financial pressure on Turkey by freezing millions of euros in accession aid if Turkey refuses to release several Germans being held in jail for political reasons.

Schulz said it was unacceptable that "no German can safely travel to Turkey anymore."

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Germany announced it would move its military base from Incirlik in southern Turkey because Ankara placed restrictions on German ministers trying to visit German troops.

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