Negative Signals

Turkey will to reform in ways that would lead to European Union membership could be dampened if member state politicians do not stop

"Europe is sending Turkey almost exclusively negative signals," European Commission Vice President Günter Verheugen told German weekly Bild am Sonntag. "We are focusing on the weaknesses of the country, and not encouraging them to change. This is feeding a reluctance to make the reforms we are asking for, which in turn leads Europe to the view that the Turks simply can't manage it.

"This is a dangerous spiral that threatens to lead to a global political failure of the highest order," Verheugen added.

The commissioner's remarks come a day after Merkel returned from her first visit to Turkey as German chancellor. Her party of Christian Democrats (CDU) have long been in favor of offering Ankara a "privileged partnership" rather than full membership.

Merkel: EU not ready for more members

Merkel was one of Europe's strongest proponents of the special arrangement with Turkey, but since becoming chancellor she had said she would honor the EU's decision on admitting Turkey to the bloc, which experts said would not happen until at least 2014.

In her weekly video podcasts, Merkel said the EU needed to clearly define it's borders and added that the Union was ready to take on more members than it has already agreed to.

"We currently have adhesion discussions with Croatia and with Turkey, but we also know that in the foreseeable future, we can't accept any other member states," she said.

However, Merkel's grand coalition partners, the Social Democratic Party (SPD), support Turkey's membership.

Goal remains full EU membership

"It would be a disastrous mistake to slam the EU's door shut in Turkey's face," SPD head Kurt Beck to the Frankfurter Allegemeinen Sonntagszeitung, adding that Turkey deserved a "fair chance" to prove it deserved full membership.

A key sticking point in negotiations is Turkey's decision to open its ports and airports to Cyprus, which joined the EU in 2004, only after the 25-member bloc ends trade embargos against Turkish Cypriots in the north of the island.

Though he has admitted there are issues that need to be settled before admitting Turkey to the union, Verheugen said the goal of talks needed to remain full membership.

"We all have an interest in a Turkey that is closely bound to the Western world -- one which is democratic, respects human rights and protects the rights of minorities," he said. "The reformers in Turkey stand for all this and they need Europe's support."