- Title: GERMANY: Turkish premier campaigns in Berlin
- Date: 4th February 2014
- Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (FEBRUARY 04, 2014) (REUTERS) ROAD BARRIER IN FRONT OF VENUE HALL 'TEMPODROM' WHERE TURKISH PRIME MINISTER TAYYIP ERDOGAN IS DUE TO HOLD A SPEECH POLICE OUTSIDE VENUE VISITORS WITH TURKISH FLAGS WIDE OF 'TEMPODROM' VARIOUS OF VISITORS WAITING TO ENTER VENUE VARIOUS OF VISITORS CHANTING 'TAYYIP ERDOGAN' (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) VISITOR HASIBE KOYU SAYING: "We
- Embargoed: 19th February 2014 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Germany
- Country: Germany
- Topics: International Relations,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVAE1KF8QJLK2LN1MR7T1DNGX2YL
- Story Text: Thousands of supporters gave a warm welcome to Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan as he arrived at a political rally in Berlin on Tuesday evening (February 4). Erdogan spoke at an arena in Kreuzberg, a Berlin district home to many Turkish immigrants. Campaigning for local elections in March and a presidential election in the summer where Turks living abroad can vote, he boasted of strong economic management in his 11 years in office and blamed the opposition of ruining the country's reputation.
"I will not leave Turkey to that kind of people", Erdogan told about 4,000 supporters attending his speech according to the organizers.
"Lying is their business, that is what they were taught to do. They try to slander others and think some stains will stay. But I say, you cannot conceal the sun with dirt and filth."
Erdogan has purged thousands of police and sought tighter control of the courts since a corruption inquiry burst into the open in December, a scandal he has cast as an attempted "judicial coup" meant to undermine him ahead of elections.
In combination with his heavy-handed tactics against last year's protests in Istanbul's Taksim Square, Erdogan's response has reinforced the view in Berlin and Brussels that Turkey's fragile democracy may not yet be ready for EU membership.
Erdogan called for Turks living in Germany to do more for their integration.
"If you live in Germany or elsewhere outside of Turkey, do not hinder integration, but on the contrary be guarantors for integration", Erdogan said.
Earlier on Tuesday Erdogan had urged German Chancellor Angela Merkel to throw Germany's full weight behind his country's bid to join the European Union but there was no sign the chancellor had been swayed from her sceptical stance on Turkish membership. In his visit to Berlin overshadowed by EU concerns about his crackdown on the judiciary and police whom he accuses of forming part of a "parallel state", Erdogan complained that German support was "not currently adequate".
Erdogan did appear to have won a concession from Merkel on the unblocking of two crucial chapters in accession talks: Chapter 23 that deals with judiciary and fundamental rights and 24 on justice, freedom and security.
Ankara began negotiations to join the EU in 2005, 18 years after applying. But a series of political obstacles, notably over the divided island of Cyprus, and resistance to Turkish membership in Germany and France, have slowed progress.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso told Erdogan last week that respect for the rule of law and an independent judiciary were pre-conditions for EU membership. Erdogan argues he is only taking action against an attempt to subvert the rule of law.
As well as Berlin, Erdogan has visited Brussels and Paris in recent weeks in a bid to build momentum after the start of a new round of EU membership talks in November, the first in more than three years. Talks had been delayed by EU states over last summer's crackdown on anti-government demonstrations. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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