Former German FM: "Pushing Turkey away from the EU is a grave mistake"

The European Union had made a "grave mistake" by pushing Turkey aside, said former German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer in a newspaper interview published this week, warning the EU that not making Turkey a member of the 27-nation block means the EU is failing to protect its interests in the region. Fischer, who is also the founder of the German Greens Party, told Greek daily To Vima that Turkey's European Union membership bid is currently at a standstill and that it has lost its appetite to become an EU member, Sabah daily reported yesterday. Fischer, who was invited to Athens by Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, argued that Turkey, a member of the G-20, has been making great advances in recent years, and now is mulling various alternatives. "How will Europe protect its interests in the Middle East, the Caspian region, Central Asia and the Arab world without Turkey?" Fischer asked. "I believe the European Union is making a grave mistake by pushing Turkey aside. This is against our interests."