Luxembourg FM says EU needs Turkey to become global actor

Luxembourg's foreign minister voiced support on Tuesday for Turkey's European Union membership bid, saying the 27-member bloc needs Ankara's membership in the union if it wants to become a global player. "Europe is now a regional player, but we need Turkey if we want a global role. Europe could become a global player together with Turkey," Jean Asselborn, who is also Luxembourg's deputy prime minister, told a joint news conference with his Turkish counterpart, Ahmet Davutoglu, following their bilateral talks in Ankara on Tuesday. Asselborn said most EU member states favor the continuation of Turkey's accession negotiations, adding that Europe needs Turkey's membership not only for political reasons but also for economic concerns. "Europe is not a fortress, and we need countries around us. Blocking Turkey's membership would be huge mistake for future generations both in Turkey and in Europe," he noted. Davutoglu told reporters that he discussed with his counterpart bilateral relations during their talks and both countries stressed their cooperation in fight against terrorism and work toward boosting trade volume. Noting that Luxembourg is a financial center in Europe, Davutoglu said they discussed further advancing relations between Luxembourg and Istanbul, a financial center in Eurasia. Davutoglu underlined that Luxembourg has always supported Turkey's EU membership, adding that the EU is going through a critical process and that Turkey's membership will contribute to the strengthening of the 27-member club. He added that both foreign ministers discussed regional issues and political developments in Syria, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Morocco.