Abuse Case

The Turkish government on Tuesday refused to heed calls by German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier to free the German teenager detained in a Turkish prison for several weeks.

During talks this week on Turkey's EU accession bid, Steinmeier brought up the case, referring to the boy's detention conditions and urging the Turkish authorities to make efforts to release him.

"These talks are to draw the attention of the Turkish authorities to the case and to contribute to the search for a solution so that this young man can swiftly rejoin his family in Germany," Steinmeier said, adding that there were "humanitarian aspects" and "schooling requirements" involved.

Turkey cites EU entry criteria

But Turkish Economy Minister and the country's chief EU negotiator, Ali Babacan ruled out any intervention, pointing out that the independence of the judiciary is one of the requirements made by the EU to all candidate states.

"As government… we do not want to interfere with the proceedings, and of course, this is an important criteria also for Europe," Babacan told a news conference after the talks.

Babacan said the boy was allowed visits by his family and said a hearing was scheduled for July 6.

"We will do everything in our power to ensure that the process is fair," Babacan added.

Held in a crowded cell

The German teenager, identified as Marco W, has been held for some 10 weeks in a Turkish jail over allegations that he had sexually molested a 13-year-old British girl, referred to as Charlotte M., while vacationing in a popular Turkish resort on the Antalyan coast.

German media had reported that the youth had been held in a cell with 30 other suspected criminals after the mother of the girl reported him to the police.

The German youth, who was working as a youth group leader for the volunteer-based German state disaster relief agency THW, has claimed that the girl had told him she was 15 years old.

In an interview with Turkish daily Hurriyet, the German boy said he did not have sexual intercourse with the British girl, though they kissed and engaged in "heavy petting."

The EU has made human rights and judicial reform a key part of Turkey's accession process and the case of the detained German teenager has underlined sensitivities over Turkish efforts to establish an independent judiciary.

The European Union opened fresh membership talks with Turkey on Tuesday, launching negotiations on two more policy areas, while a third was blocked amid French misgivings.

All candidate countries must successfully complete 35 policy chapters ahead of membership.

So far Turkey has only successfully completed one, and no more chapters may be closed until it has dropped its trade embargo against EU member Cyprus.