European politician sees eu bid as key for Turkey's democratization

A member of the European Parliament has suggested that maintaining Turkey's European Union membership bid is key to further consolidating democratization in Turkey, warning against abandoning the EU path. Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, a member of the European Parliament from Germany and vice chair of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE Group), said in a statement on Wednesday that without the EU process no one would talk about a Turkey model today in the context of the Arab Spring, and a Turkey which is turning its face from Europe will definitely lose its appeal globally. He added, it is right to say that the EU has been a trigger for democratic reform in Turkey. He stressed that the "Model Turkey" is still in the making and currently Turkey's constitutional and political debate as well as its efforts at trying to reconcile the different elements in government and society can be seen as a model; the final result, however, is unclear."If Turkey abandons the democratic mindset and pluralism, the institutions and processes will be hollow and the country may yet lose the strong role that it currently has. So while the EU can be an inspiration, Turkey's future is entirely in Turkey's hands, and with it, its role as a model for others," Lambsdorff underlined.