Kotzias says Merkel ‘is not an institution on her own’ in the EU

Kotzias says Merkel ‘is not an institution on her own’ in the EU, and cannot decide alone on Turkey’s membership. Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias has said that the German Chancellor  “is not a European institution on her own”, and thus does not have any authority to replace other established bodies of the European Union.

Greek Minister was commenting on what is believed to be an offer put forward by Angela Merkel to Tayip Erdogan for assistance in reducing refugee flows to central and northern Europe in exchange for lifting hurdles which have up to now blocked crucial chapters of the negotiation process for Turkey becoming a full member of the EU.Kotzias underlined that he personally is considering Germany’s “thoughts and desires” concerning EU-Turkey relations, “but this does not imply that her thoughts and aspirations are also those of the rest of us.”