Brussels, 30/10/2002 (Agence Europe) - The Chairman of the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs, Elmar Brok, affirmed (as two other European members of the CDU/CSU, Hartmut Nassauer and Markus Ferber, had done before him) that the accusations made by the Turkish authorities against several German political foundations in Turkey demonstrate that, in fact, Turkey is not yet able to join the Union. These accusations confirm, he says, that, despite all the progress made in Turkey, forces opposed to the rule of law continue to have influence in the army and in the judiciary.
Furthermore, Mr Brok criticised the United States for pressure that it is putting on the Union so that, at the Copenhagen Summit, it gives a date for opening membership talks with Turkey.