"Germany champions Turkish EU bid but conservatives rally resistance 14/12/2004
The German government has spearheaded efforts to bring Turkey into the EU fold, viewing it as a way of reconciling Islam and the West, but its conservative opposition is stepping up efforts to rally European resistance to Ankara's bid. With the largest Turkish immigrant population in the European Union at 2.8 million, Germany has a vested interest in seeing Turkey build stronger ties to western Europe, and perhaps the most to lose from a divisive debate. Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's center-left coalition views Turkey as a potential bridge between the Middle East and Europe, and warned against slamming the door in Ankara's face after some four decades of pledges for greater integration. "
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