BERLIN - Matthias Wissmann, member of German Christian Democrat Party (CDU) and the chairman of the European committee of the German Parliament, said on Tuesday that the European Union (EU) was in no condition to receive a big country like Turkey as a member.
Wissmann met with Turkish Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc who is currently in Berlin as the guest of German Federal Parliament Speaker Wolfgang Thierse.
Wissmann told reporters after the meeting that they only took up the issue of Turkey's EU membership and added that he asked Arinc whether or not Turkey could consider alternatives other than full membership to the EU.
Noting that Turkey was determined for being full member of the EU, Wissmann said that they appreciated the reforms in Turkey however the EU is on the limits of enlargement. He added that the EU was in no condition to receive a big country like Turkey as member.
Wissmann said that they considered the release of former Democracy Party (DEP) deputy Leyla Zana as a positive step. He added that they were respectful to the reforms in Turkey, but the accession of a big country like Turkey to the EU would bring big problems as well.
Arinc will attend the dinner which will be hosted by German-Turkish Parliamentary Friendship Group Chairperson Claudia Roth in his honor tonight.
(GC-AÖ) 15.06.2004