‘End political blockade to Turkey’s EU membership’

By Muhammet Emin Avundukluoglu

ANKARA (AA) - A prominent lawmaker of Turkey's main opposition party on Wednesday called on the European Union, to remove political obstructions to Turkey's membership.

“On the occasion of Europe Day on May 9, we see a historical responsibility to call on the EU to take positive steps away from personal interests," said Sibel Ozdemir, Republican People's Party [CHP] lawmaker representing Istanbul province.

"The political obstructions should be removed in the way of Turkey's EU membership," she said.

Ozdemir also urged the EU to exhibit a strong political resolve to allow the accession process to conclude.

She added that Turkey should be granted full membership of the EU, if it has fulfilled the criteria set for other candidate countries.

Turkey applied to join what was then the European Economic Community in 1987. In 1997 it was declared eligible to join the EU. The negotiations for its accession started in 2005. But the process was stalled in 2007, due to objections raised by Greek Cypriot administration as well as Germany and France.