“As the SPD, we have relations with [CHP leader] Deniz Baykal. However, there has been a change of stance among CHP members in the last six or seven years. They misunderstand Europe. I have difficulty in understanding one point, which is the CHP's being against Europe or its not being pro-Europe,” Steinmeier stated in an exclusive interview with Today's Zaman.
Steinmeier stressed that it was pretty hard for Europeans to understand why the Turkish main opposition party is opposed to any changes in laws or refuses to support Turkey's reform process in its EU bid.
The CHP has for long been the center of harsh criticism in Europe as it places obstacles before Turkey's EU membership process and refuses to back the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government in its bid for making Turkey a member of the 27-nation bloc.
CHP leader Baykal paid a series of visits to senior European Union leaders earlier this year in a move to thaw the ice between Europe and his party. Responding to the criticism directed at him, Baykal stressed that the CHP is a fervent support of Turkey's aspirations to join the EU and that his party is not responsible for the misperceptions surrounding the party, implying that Europeans have failed to understand CHP's policies.
Steinmeier stressed that the Socialist International (SI) is continuing to monitor the CHP to see whether it is adhering to the SI's principles.
An ethics committee delegation from SI came to Turkey last summer to talk with CHP officials and conveying their disapproval of certain CHP policies, especially regarding minority rights.
“We are planning to re-monitor the CHP's program, an idea not welcomed by the party. I think this is not a result of misunderstanding the CHP by social democrat parties in Europe, but directly a result of the CHP's stance [on a variety of issues]. The fact that the CHP does not support Turkey's EU bid has caused a distance between this party and social democrats in Europe,” the German foreign minister remarked.
‘I have no idea as to what privileged membership is’
Steinmeier also touched upon Turkey's efforts to become a full member of the EU, expressing his strong will to see Turkey among EU countries.
“It was a result of common will among EU countries to launch Turkey's membership process. There are different opinions in Europe regarding Turkey's prospective membership. One of these opinions is privileged membership. To be frank, I have no idea what they mean with it. I'd like a favorable decision for Turkey at the end of the negotiation process,” he said.
He also advised Turkey to keep working for EU membership as the heaviest responsibility falls on Turkey for the conclusion of negotiations. “Turkey has to fulfill its responsibilities. It is possible at the moment to say that there is an improvement on Turkey's road to the EU. However, there is a long road ahead and more steps to be taken. I hope we will overcome prospective problems. The Cyprus issue is a big challenge,” Steinmeier stated.
Dwelling on Turkey's long-standing Kurdish question, Steinmeier praised recent steps taken by the government to settle it. “I know that important developments have occurred in the Kurdish question in the last few months. However, I'd like to stress that Turkey has not solved its Kurdish question yet. Kurds have demands in the field of culture. TRT 6 is a very positive step to this end,” he noted.
The AK Party government launched TRT 6 in January of this year to provide a TV channel for Kurdish citizens which broadcasts in their own language for 24 hours a day. TRT 6 is a first of its kind in Turkey. It is aimed at clearing bans on the Kurdish language, the public use of which was previously prohibited. Turkey has a population of some 12-14 million Kurds out of a total population of more than 70 million.
The German foreign minister said his country is set to improve its relations with Turkey. Approximately 2.6 million ethnic Turks reside in Germany, with over 900,000 standing as German citizens. Nearly 650,000 of them have the right to vote and be elected in German elections.
Steinmeier also said more could be done to further ease visa requirement for Turks who are willing to travel to Germany. German authorities decided last week to allow Turkish citizens traveling to Germany as truck drivers or maintenance workers or for scientific, artistic or sporting activities to enter the country without obtaining visas.
Responding to heavy criticism in the Turkish media that a dossier regarding a fraud case against a German-based Turkish charity organization took almost 100 days to be sent to Turkey, the German foreign minister said this period of time was not extraordinary in legal cases.
Turkish media lashed out at German authorities for failing to send a dossier regarding the Deniz Feneri e.V. case to Turkey in a short period of time, raising a question over whether they were cooperating with officials of the charity organization to cover up the case.
“I am a jurist. One hundred days is not too long a period in international cases. I don't know whether [Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) President] Zahit Akman has anything to do with the case,” Steinmeier said.
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