The relationship of the EU to Turkey. Public statement, October 2004

The relationship of the European Union to Turkey is an issue of immense importance for the Union. The possible accession of Turkey to the EU will influence, not only the political set-up in the Union and Europe as a whole, but also the living conditions of the many EU citizens and people who live on the continent. This is the reason why the Conference of European Churches (CEC), which gathers Churches of Anglican, Orthodox and Protestant traditions from all over Europe, feels the need to express its position on this development through its Church and Society Commission. After extensive consultation of the CEC Member Churches, we declare that for the Churches in Europe the issue of religious differences is not an obstacle to continuing improvement of the relationship between Turkey and the EU and even for Turkey's eventual membership in the Union. For the Churches the accession of Turkey to the EU is, in other words, not a question of religious
differences. Turkey's eventual membership in the Union may have even potentially good effects on the positive development of the relationship between religions and cultures in Europe and may put a foundation stone in a bridge between the Christian and Muslim worlds.