Abdullah Gül threatens to slam door on EU

"Turkey fans are rare in Europe," says German daily Frankfurter Rundschau about the visit to Germany of Turkish President Abdullah Gül. Appraising the state of German-Turkish relations, the paper notes that despite the bright smiles of both presidents Abdullal Gül and Christian Wulff, "comments on Turkey's adhesion to the EU remain hypocritical and marred by doublespeak," the paper says. Officially Brussels wants Ankara to become a full member, but in practice, Germany, France and Austria are keeping "both feet on the brakes"," the Rundschau adds. Thus, two thirds of the 35 issues with which the negotiations must deal have yet to be discussed. Despite a bomb attack that struck on the same day in Ankara (3 dead), while in Berlin, Gül reminded Wulff that the principle of "pacta sunt servanda" - accords must be respected - applies also to Turkey. If transactions with the EU should fail,the paper notes, the new "tiger of the Bosporus," the world's sixteenth economic power, could, out of frustration, drop the European membership issue of its own accord.

For Italian daily La Repubblica, in Berlin, Turkey "already said adieu to Europe. The paper added that "never have Europe and Asia seemed so far away as today" because, "Turkey, tired of waiting at Europe's door, yesterday for the first time affirmed, through its head of state, moderate Islamist Abdullalh Gül, that 'we will not accept to be a member of the European Union if the inhabitants of a single of its nations did not want us and considered Turkey as a burden'".