| | | | In an exclusive interview on NTV on Friday, Hansjorg Kretschmer, said that Turkey still had many reforms to implement in order to achieve membership of the EU. “There are great gaps in respect to human rights and freedoms,” Kretschmer said. “Freedom of expression, religion and the place of women in the society have serious deficiencies.”
Not much had been achieved as yet on reforming civilian-military relations, legal reforms and their implementation, he said.
Furthermore Kretschmer stressed that the underdeveloped economic and social nature of the southeast of Turkey as a drawback.
“There a long path ahead of Turkey,” he said.
The reform process in Turkey had lost momentum and had slowed down, and that there were two conditions to be met by Turkey in order for accession negotiations to start as scheduled on October 3, one the signing of the Ankara protocol and passing the new penal code, he said
In reference to the issue of direct trade with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, a question raised during the recent visit of the German Chancellor to Turkey, Kretschmer stressed that the Greek Cypriot side, as a member of the EU, did not recognise the northern side and this generated problems.
Kretschmer also called on Turkey to open up its border with Armenian as soon as possible. Although he stressed that the recognition of the so-called Armenian genocide was not a criteria for membership of the EU, Kretschmer stressed that it would have an indirect impact.
“Turkey should urgently face up to this important issue,” he said. “Since this would affect the views on Turkey by the public of the EU states.”
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