German Conservatives Rail Against Turkish EU Membership

German conservatives have renewed their opposition to Turkey’s entry into the EU and warned they will make it an election issue in upcoming EU polls this year. Parliamentary leader of the opposition Christian Social Union (CSU), the sister Bavarian party of the Christian Democrats, Michael Glos accused Chancellor Schröder’s government of offering an EU entry perspective to Ankara in a "cloak and dagger operation" only in order to get the votes of the 500,000 Turkish-origin voters in Germany. Glos said his party would bring up the topic in looming EU polls, but "without xenophobic overtones." Deputy chairman of the Christian Democrats, Wolfgang Schäuble suggested the EU offer Ankara a "privileged partnership" instead of full membership. Chancellor Schröder is to meet with Turkish Prime Minster Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Berlin on Friday.