Turkish EU Affairs Minister: Germany Cannot Exclusively Determine EU Policy

Germany cannot alone dictate the policy on the European Union, Turkish Minister for EU Affairs Omer Celik said Thursday, slamming a recent statement made by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Wednesday, Merkel said that the German government would not continue exerting efforts in negotiating the expansion of the bloc's customs union agreement with Turkey.

"A very unfortunate statement. We have to stress that none of European countries should give orders to the European Union," Celik said at a press conference with UK Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Alan Duncan, as quoted by the Yeni Safak newspaper.

The minister added that such a situation undermines the trust of the European Union, urging the European Commission to not let the problems between Ankara and Berlin affect EU-Turkish relations.

Relations between Germany and Turkey have witnessed a setback following failed coup attempt in July 2016. Ankara has accused Berlin of providing asylum for coup plotters, while Berlin has strongly criticized the detention of German journalists and human rights activists in Turkey.

The EU-Turkey Customs Union was established in 1995 and applied to all industrial products, but did not include agriculture products, services and public procurement.