Greece warns ending EU talks with Turkey a mistake
THESSALONIKI - Agence France-Presse
During a recent election debate, both Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel and her Social Democratic rival Martin Schulz endorsed ending Turkey’s EU accession talks.
Ties between the two nations have become strained since last year’s failed coup attempt.
Relations further deteriorated after the detention of several German citizens including Deniz Yücel, a correspondent for the Die Welt newspaper.
But Tsipras said “ending Turkey’s accession talks would be a strategic mistake that would maybe benefit only for [President Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan.”
Turkey is an important regional power and should remain engaged, added Tsipras, but also called on Turkey to respect international law and stop provocations.
While Greece and Turkey have long had difficult relations, ties between Athens and Berlin have frayed in recent years over the terms of Greece’s international bailouts as Germany has insisted on spending cuts and tax hikes and objected to providing any considerable debt relief.