Merkel Calls for End to EU Membership Talks with Turkey

As tensions between Ankara and Berlin continue to rise, Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, called for an end to discussions regarding Turkey's membership in the European Union on September 3rd. During an electoral debate with her main rival Martin Schulz, she stated, "It is clear that Turkey should not become a member of the European Union." The Chancellor added that she would discuss with other EU leaders to make a final decision on whether "we can end these membership negotiations." She expressed, "I never see [Turkey's membership in the EU] as feasible. I have never believed that such a thing is possible." Merkel's remarks come amid ongoing tensions between the two countries, just moments after her main electoral rival Martin Schulz also called for halting EU membership negotiations with Ankara. Two days prior, Merkel had stated at an economic conference in Nuremberg that Berlin must respond decisively to the detention of two other German citizens in Turkey and "reassess our trade relations with them." Reports indicate that at least 12 German citizens are currently imprisoned in Turkey on political charges. Deniz Yucel, a German-Turkish journalist, has been imprisoned in Turkey for over two thousand days. On the other hand, Turkey has demanded the return of its citizens whom it claims are supporters of Fethullah Gülen, a request that Berlin has reportedly opposed. Ankara claims Gülen and his supporters attempted a failed coup last year, and the Turkish government considers the movement stemming from Gülen's ideology a "terrorist group." Merkel and Schulz are not the only German politicians who have recently called for an end to EU membership talks with Turkey. Two weeks ago, the German Foreign Minister also stated that as long as Erdogan is in power, Turkey will not become a member of the EU. The Turkish President has previously emphasized that his country does not need to join the EU "at any cost" and could instead become part of another union like "Shanghai." Both Turkey and Germany are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Turkey has been in negotiations for EU membership for over a decade, which have not only yielded no results but are now deemed less likely than ever. In this context, Merkel's reaction to the detention of two Germans in Antalya indicates a potential reassessment of relations with Turkey. Spiegel reported that Germany has opposed a request for the extradition of 80 Turkish citizens.