Turkey slams German 'populism' after Merkel's remarks on EU talks

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman has accused German politicians of indulging in populism after Chancellor Angela Merkel called for an end to Ankara's European Union membership talks.

"Attacking Turkey and Erdogan and ignoring Germany's and Europe's fundamental and urgent problems are a reflection of a lack of vision," Ibrahim Kalin wrote on his Twitter account on Monday.

Kalin added that the move was a “surrender to populism and marginalization/hostility (which) only fuels discrimination and racism.”

“We hope that the problematic atmosphere that made Turkish-German relations the victim of this narrow political horizon will end,” he noted.

Turkey has been trying to become an EU member since the 1960s. Formal EU accession talks began in 2005, but the process has been plagued by problems. The EU has opened 16 out of the 35 chapters required for Turkey to join the 28-nation bloc, but only one of them has so far been concluded.

The Turkish presidential spokesperson made the comments a day after Merkel, in a TV debate ahead of German’s federal elections on September 24, agreed with her main rival, Social Democrat Martin Schulz, saying it was "clear that Turkey should not become a member of the European Union.”

Merkel added that she would talk to other EU leaders about ending Ankara’s stalled accession process.

The German chancellor, however, stressed that she had “no intention of ending diplomatic relations with Turkey.”

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek reacted on Twitter, saying the "EU never had a credible commitment to let Turkey in," and that "Merkel isn't only shooting herself in the foot but also jeopardizing the future of Europe."

Turkey’s European Union Affairs Minister Omer Celik also censured the remarks by the German chancellor, saying any talk of ending his country's negotiations for joining the bloc amounted to an "attack on Europe's founding principles.”

"They are building a Berlin wall with bricks of populism," Celik said, adding that Turkey would "keep going with its head held high as a European country and a European democracy.”

Meanwhile, European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said on Monday that Turkey was moving away from Europe and the actions of Turkish authorities were making it "impossible" for the country to join the bloc.

Schinas stressed, however, that any decision on whether to formally stop the long-stalled membership process would be up to the EU member states not the Brussels executive.

Ties between Turkey and Germany have been strained over a host of issues since the 2016 failed coup against the government in Ankara.

Berlin has been critical of its Ankara’s post-coup crackdown and the arrest of German citizens, while Turkey accuses the European country of harboring anti-Erdogan “terrorist” organizations. More than 50,000 people have been arrested and 150,000 others suspended or sacked in a security crackdown since the failed putsch.

Earlier this year, the Turkish president on several occasions compared Merkel and other German officials to “Nazis” after Berlin prevented pro-Erdogan rallies ahead of Turkey’s April constitutional referendum.

Turkey has also accused Germany of sheltering members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), and allowing their sympathizers to stage anti-Turkey rallies across the Western European country.

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