German Chancellor arrives at Turkey for visit

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, February 23, 2004

German Chancellor arrives at Turkey for visit

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder arrived in Ankara Sunday for a two-day official visit to discuss Ankara's bid to join the European Union(EU).

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder arrived in Ankara Sunday for a two-day official visit to discuss Ankara's bid to join the European Union(EU).

Schroeder, the first German head of government to come to Turkey since Helmut Kohl visited 11 years ago, will have talks with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and major opposition leader Deniz Baykal.

Ankara has hoped that the European Union will, by the end of the year, set a date for the start of EU membership negotiations with Turkey, an economic partner since 1963 and an official candidate since 1999.

Schroeder, who has previously spoken in favor of Turkish membership, was expected to encourage the Turkish government's efforts to introduce reforms as required by the EU, diplomatic sources here said.

The chancellor was also expected to underline the role played by Turkey in getting the rival Greek and Turkish communities in Cyprus to restart talks on reunification of their island, the sources added.

The EU has suggested a settlement in Cyprus would improve Turkey's membership hopes.

Turkey's EU ambitions have become an important political issue ahead of elections to the European parliament in Germany, where more than half a million people of Turkish origin have acquired German citizenship and the right to vote.

Besides meeting with government leaders, Schroeder will attend an economic forum in Istanbul and the opening of a German-built power station near the Syrian border. He is accompanied by a large delegation of business leaders.

He will later fly to Malta, set to become the EU's smallest state when it joins in May.

Questions?Comments? Click here

Chinese premier calls for government clean-up ( 26 Messages)

China reviews efforts to better serve people ( 7 Messages)

Japan decides to further cut back economic aid to China ( 60 Messages)

How 'sea turtles' turned out to be 'seaweeds'? ( 4 Messages)

CEO of Indian Wipro Industries: Chinese software industry can't catch up with India's ( 23 Messages)