Tweet
EU Gives Turkey Green Light
EU's Historical Step Pleases Turkey
Verheugen Saves Turkey Report
Heated Debates Center around Turkey Report
World Talks about Turkey, Supports Progress Report
Busy Day for EU Sees Croatia Get Date, Turkey Recommended Date
[News Analysis]
Final Decision to be Made on December 17
Commission Foresees Different Procedures for Turkey
Turkey Prepares for Tough Talks with EU
Gul: EU Rejection of Turkey would Insult Islamic World
************************************************** *************************
EU Gives Turkey Green Light
Zaman, Turkey
Oct 2 2004
The European Union (EU) Commission yesterday released its Progress
Report on Turkey. In addition to praising the reforms Turkey
undertook in the five years since it obtained the status of candidate
country in 1999,
the report also gives Turkey the green light to start membership
negotiations. However, the green light comes with strings attached.
EU Commission President Romano Prodi said that the decision is a
"qualified yes". However, he warned that Turkey needs to improve in
the area of human rights, and added that the start of negotiations
does not necessarily guarantee membership.
The report itself clearly states that if Turkey backtracks on reforms
or if political unrest occurs, the Commission could recommend that EU
leaders suspend the talks. Suspension of the negotiations would
require approval of a majority of EU members.
Because several of the EU member countries are still distant to
Turkey's membership, discussions stretched on for hours yesterday.
Political groups in the European Parliament voiced their views on the
results of the report.
Commission officials emphasized that the negotiations are a process
and that reforms as well as their implementation should be
maintained; otherwise, the negotiations will be suspended.
On the other hand, there was confusion over the inclusion of a few
articles in the report. Some experts assessed the EU's addition of
measures such as suspending negotiations, restricting free movement,
and holding open-ended talks as amounting to a double-standard for
Turkey. Others defended that such measures were included in order to
tame the opposition against Turkey.
European Union (EU) Commissioner for Enlargement Gunter Verheugen put
forward that Ankara should not be concerned about the restriction on
free travel.
"We don't start negotiations with three options. Our only goal is to
sign the accession agreement with Turkey," explained the
Commissioner.
In an exclusive interview, Verheugen said that the condition to
suspend negotiations is just a precaution. He indicated it would only
be employed in case of a military coup, religious revolt, or the
revival of the death penalty.
"Turkey is no longer in the category of the countries that do not
respect human rights," added Verhugen.
Even though the report praises Turkey progress, many parts of the
report constantly remind the country of the need to implement
reforms.
The report credits Turkey's current Justice and Development Party
(AKP) government with realizing the bulk of the reforms undertaken
since the 1999 Helsinki summit. However, it notes that torture and
bureaucratic resistance to reforms are areas that Turkey still needs
to work on.
The report also encourages Turkey to take a harder look at
implementing reforms related to freedoms of thought and religion and
the rights of women and minorities.
While the Commission did not mention any date regarding when the
negotiations would begin, Ankara reminded that the EU previously
decided "to start negotiations immediately if the report is
positive."
The report also does not hint when the negotiations might be
completed.
************************************************** *************************
EU's Historical Step Pleases Turkey
10.07.2004
Brussels, Zaman
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday that the
Progress Report released by the European Union (EU) Commission is
"generally balanced".
Erdogan, holding a press meeting at the European Council yesterday in
Strasbourg, added that he believes the Commission report will be
approved in its current form at the December 17 EU summit.
"Since the report is affirmative, negotiations should officially
start within the first few months of 2005," said Erdogan.
When reminded that Commission President Romano Prodi announced the
report with a "conditional yes", the Prime Minister responded: "There
is no such thing. I think there is a miscommunication."
"Today, we have reached the first target. We were given the first
green light, and we completed the first lap in the flag race,"
indicated Erdogan. He also emphasized that Turkey does not want any
special privileges during the membership process.
The Prime Minister then underlined the fact that by fulfilling some
of the criteria, Turkey was already ahead of some current EU member
countries. "We demand what is just for Turkey, nothing else."
Regarding the suspension of negotiations if deemed necessary, Erdogan
said, "This could be disrespectful to a country that sped up the
democratization process. If there is civil insurrection in a country
then [the negotiations] should be suspended."
Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul assessed the report
for the press in Ankara. He said that the Commission took a
historical step both in terms of Turkey and the EU.
Gul however expressed his disturbance at the fact that the report
contains criteria and precautions for Turkey that fall outside of the
Helsinki resolutions. Gul objected to the idea of "open-ended"
negotiations. He said that "full membership" could be the only result
of the talks.
************************************************** *************************
Verheugen Saves Turkey Report
10.07.2004
Ali Ihsan Aydin, Cemil Kartal, Suleyman Kurt
Strasbourg, Ankara
The release of yesterday's Progress Report on Turkey caused heated
debates in the European Union (EU) Commission.
The attempts by Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration to
include a clause requiring Turkey to recognize the Greek Cypriot
administration in the report almost brought the meeting to a halt.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Gunter Verheugen emphasized that Turkey
supported the Annan Plan for a solution in Cyprus and therefore met
its responsibility in the issue.
In addition, EU Commissioner for External Affairs Chris Patten
stressed that such a condition cannot be put forward for Turkey since
it did as much as it could regarding the issue.
On the other side, several more commissioners announced their support
for the position of the Greek side. French commissioners Pascal Lamy
and Jacques Barrot, Spanish commissioner Loyola de Palacio, and
Slovak commissioner Jan Figel all acknowledged that they supported
the Greek attempt.
As the heated discussions continued, Verheugen said that if the
Greeks insist on their argument, he would withdraw the report. Patten
fully supported Verheugen, saying it would be proper to withdraw the
report. The duo's firm stance made the Greeks step back.
The Greek side had wanted to append the phrase "all parties should
recognize each other" to a paragraph on the 9th page of the report
that reads, "Negotiations will be conducted with the participation of
EU members within the framework of an intergovernmental conference
requiring a unanimous vote."
In the end, the sentence was included in an indirect form that
reminds Turkey the Greeks will be at the negotiation table.
************************************************** *************************
Heated Debates Center around Turkey Report
10.07.2004
Foreign News Services
Istanbul
The European Union (EU) Commission's Progress Report on Turkey caused
heated debates yesterday among the political groups in the European
Parliament.
"I think this is the biggest nonsense I heard in 2004," said Europe
People's Party leader Hans-Gert Poettering when the Commission
announced that there was no evidence of systematic torture in Turkey.
Socialist leader Martin Schulz said: "We want big security plans to
be made in order to preserve the peace in the 21st century. I think
we have a better chance for this with Turkey than without Turkey."
Liberal group leader Graham Watson said, "The EU's openness to Turkey
should contribute to the harmonization of the three monotheist
religions."
Daniel Cohn-Bendit of the Greens, which reacted against the
anti-Turkey groups, signaled his support for start of negotiations.
"I absolutely believe that this will contribute to peace. At the same
time, it will increase Europe's strategic importance in a dangerous
world."
************************************************** *************************
World Talks about Turkey, Supports Progress Report
10.07.2004
Cihan
Brussels
Media institutions the world over provided ample coverage of the
release of the European Union (EU) Commission's Progress Report on
Turkey and the ensuing reactions.
EU Term President the Netherlands informed, "The impartial decision
that will be made at the December summit will be based upon the
findings of this report."
The Netherlands added that the reason no date was given for the start
of negotiations was because Turkey still had some deficiencies that
needed to be addressed.
The US administration meanwhile disclosed that it was satisfied with
the report.
German Chancellor Gerhard Shröeder repeated his support for a date to
begin negotiations, and said he found the report "fine and serious".
Elsewhere, French President Jacques Chirac insisted that Turkey's
accession could take at least 10-15 years if EU members reach a
consensus to start the negotiations. He also repeated his view on
conducting a referendum on Turkey's full membership.
On the other side, British Prime Minister Tony Blair gave strong
support to Ankara. British Foreign Affairs Minister Jack Straw added
that the "EU should keep its promise now."
Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen found the report
"deliberate but positive".
The Italian government signified that the report would ease the
process of giving a negotiation date. "The Italian government will
continue to implement its duty on the issue."
Greece, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Slovenia also strongly supported
Ankara's membership.
Austrian Prime Minister Wolfgang Schuessel warned Europe not to close
its doors to Turkey.
************************************************** *************************
Busy Day for EU Sees Croatia Get Date, Turkey Recommended Date
10.07.2004
Foreign News Services
Istanbul
The European Union (EU) Commission advised that membership
negotiations with Croatia should begin in early 2005.
EU Commissioner for Enlargement Gunter Verheugen said yesterday in
his speech at the European Parliament, "The Commission provides a
basis to start negotiations with Croatia next year."
The recommendation of the Commission will be decided on at the EU
Leaders Summit on December 17. The EU Commission also advised the
membership of Bulgaria and Romania to the Union in 2007.
Meanwhile, opponents of Turkey in the European Council tried to
append conditions to the report on Turkey just prior to the report's
release. Suggested conditions ranged from acceptance of the
[so-called] Armenian genocide to a privileged partnership; however,
none of the conditions were added.
A few commissioners suggested that Turkey had not met the required
criteria. They therefore argued against the recommendation of a
negotiation date.
On the other hand, a large majority of the commissioners supported
the start of the negotiations, assuming Turkey fulfilled some
provisions.
No voting session was held in the Commission, and the decision was
taken by consensus rather than unanimity.
************************************************** *************************
[News Analysis]
Final Decision to be Made on December 17
10.07.2004
Zaman
Brussels
The long-awaited Progress Report on Turkey was finally released
yesterday. The report did not declare an "exact yes"; however, at the
same time there were no heavy conditions that Turkey would be unable
to handle. The important thing was whether or not the Commission,
after a 45-year struggle, would advise an unconditional start to
negotiations. It has been achieved; however, strings have been
attached to the actual negotiation process.
We should agree on this: the European Union (EU) will conduct the
membership negotiations with Turkey in a different way. Like EU
Commissioner for Agriculture Franz Fischler, an opponent of Turkey's
membership, said yesterday, the negotiation with Turkey would not be
the same as the ones held for the other countries.
It has been predicted that Ankara will easily digest conditions such
as open-ended negotiations and the EU's ability to suspend
negotiations if Turkey backtracks on reforms. It is true that these
conditions are valid for other countries in word, but they were
handed to Ankara in writing.
Yet, the "permanent restriction" on one of the EU's four basic
liberties, freedom of movement, indicates that the attitudes towards
Ankara are different.
Though the expression about the permanent restriction in the
recommendation is not binding, it matters in two aspects: The first
is that these arguments will constantly be brought up during the
negotiations, which could last 10-15 years; Second, an appropriate
circumstance will be created so as to allow EU leaders to make
ambiguous decisions at the December 17th EU summit.
At the December 2002 Copenhagen Summit EU leaders said that they
would decide according to the progress and recommendation report;
they pledged to start negotiations immediately if the results were
positive. What is expected from the EU leaders on December 17 is a
decision to start negotiations in February or March of next year.
Turkey, which has had the negotiation decision in its pocket, both
decisively carries on the reform process and reminds the EU to keep
its promise.
Brussels advises the opening of negotiations based on the assumption
that reforms such as the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) and Appellate
Courts law will be completed by December. Ankara should not let
opponents create excuses.
It is advantageous to stay on guard until December 17 by considering
the possibility that the leaders will dilute the report's
recommendation. That is the very time we will understand how
seriously the EU takes the report.
************************************************** *************************
Commission Foresees Different Procedures for Turkey
10.07.2004
Selcuk Gultasli
Brussels
The European Union (EU)'s Progress Report on Turkey, which will be
released tomorrow by the European Commission for Enlargement, will
recommend that Turkey follows a different schedule for accession
negotiations - a schedule, the Commission tells Ankara, that previous
countries were subject to, albeit indirectly.
The Commission's change in timeline attends to the anxieties of
Turkey's opponents, while its defense reassures Ankara that it is
receiving equal treatment. Many of the recommendations that were not
given to previous countries are not new the Commission said, and are
merely solidified for Turkey.
Below are some of the reports conclusions.
- The 9-page report will recommend the start of negotiations.
- The start of negotiations will not depend on one condition, and its
continuity will be indexed to many conditions.
- The discussion process does not promise automatic membership. The
process is therefore open ended.
- Rules that were negligible, and not mentioned for former
candidates, will be solidified for Turkey.
- If Turkey does not fulfill all recommendations, discussions could
be delayed.
- Negotiations will not be done in a chronological fashion, rather,
Turkey will address several recommendations at once.
- Turkey's application will be taken under microscope.
While writing the report, the Commission was sensitive to the
concerns of its constituents. One Commission official even said that
the report's recommendations were a "foot massage" for the EU.
Intense debate and argument surrounded the report's drafting.
Reporters suggested that if the General Managers within the
Commission for Enlargement couldn't compromise, then the
Commissioners would have to when they convened on Wednesday.
According to sources within the Commission, the French brought a
plethora of concerns to yesterday's discussions regarding the
recommendation's context. Some sources noted that French President
Jacques Chirac has turbulent approval from the public -- fodder for
Prime Minister Erdogan to publicly jest him.
************************************************** *************************
Turkey Prepares for Tough Talks with EU
10.06.2004
Foreign News Services
Istanbul
Last second negotiations took place in the run up to today's release
of the European Union (EU) Commission's Progress Report on Turkey.
Anti-Turkey EU members attempted to append plenty of conditions to
the recommendation report. Ankara on the other hand warned Brussels
about applying a double standard to Turkey's membership bid.
"We did our homework, now it is Europe's turn to take the test,"
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said from Strasbourg.
Recommendations put forward the other day by general directors in the
Commission raised concerns in Ankara.
Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul held frequent talks over the
phone with his German, Dutch, British and Spanish counterparts, as
well as EU Commissioner for Enlargement Gunter Verheugen. Gul
requested that the negativities be ironed out. One of Ankara's
greatest concerns was talk about including a "permanent restriction"
on the movement of Turks in Europe. Turkey made its displeasure
known, and in the end the proposed restriction was softened.
Turkey expects the fact that it has completed all the political
criteria to feature prominently in the report.
Foreign Ministry diplomats in Ankara who assessed the "whispers"
coming from Brussels held a two session meeting led by Gul. During
the meeting, the EU Commission's Ankara Office of Representative was
contacted. A high-level diplomat described the atmosphere in general
as "cloudy yet moderate".
Ankara discussed with Brussels Turkey's approach to "possible
conditions", such as being forced to recognize the So-Called Armenian
Genocide, recognition of the Greek Cypriot administration of EU
member Cyprus, and restriction on free travel.
Points that Turkey could definitely not accept were clearly addressed
one by one. For instance, EU Commissioner for Trade Pascal Lamy the
other day insisted on the recognition of the [So-Called] Armenian
genocide as a pre-condition.
Ankara explained to Brussels that it is ready to meet any demand
regarding the Copenhagen Criteria; however, it underlined that it
would not tolerate demands unrelated to the Criteria in the
recommendation report.
Meanwhile, EU Commission President Romano Prodi reiterated that there
would be "no special conditions for Turkey."
Ankara relaxed a bit when Brussels explained that the rule of halting
negotiations would be applied to all candidate countries from now on,
including Croatia. The rule will allow the EU to suspend negotiations
with candidate countries if there is a constant deviation from human
rights and basic freedoms. EU sources point out that military coups
and backward steps in the reform process would also lead to the
suspension of negotiations.
Diplomatic sources disclose that absence of an expression calling for
an immediate start to negotiations would not constitute any
difficulty for Ankara since a decision in that direction had already
been reached at the EU Copenhagen Summit in 2002.
************************************************** *************************
Gul: EU Rejection of Turkey would Insult Islamic World
10.06.2004
Selcuk Gultasli, Salih Boztas
Brussels
While the European press write that today's European Union (EU)
Progress Report on Turkey is not a "technical" decision based solely
on the Copenhagen Criteria, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul
said yesterday that he is certain negotiations will start; however,
he warned that the Islamic world would perceive a "subjective
political rejection" as an insult.
Gul explained that Turkey has changed in the last two years. He said
that the conditions required to begin negotiations have been
fulfilled and that no matter what, Turkey's reform process would
continue.
"What if EU rejects Turkey?" asked one reporter.
Gul replied, "If a subjective political 'no' comes out, its
ramifications will not be limited to Turkey. Everyone will begin to
say, 'Regardless of what you do, you will never be accepted since you
are Muslim.' This would provide the Islamic world with a source of
enmity against Europe. It becomes a great insult. This is a test not
only for Turkey, but Europe as well."
Turkey dominated the headlines across Europe yesterday. The UK's
Financial Times contends that in theory the decision about whether or
not to start negotiations is a technical decision that should be made
depending on Turkey's progress in democracy and human rights;
however, in practice it goes far beyond the technical points.
Despite the claims of pro-Turkey Europeans who defend that the
decision on Turkey's membership was given 40 years ago, anti-Turkey
Europeans still maintain some geopolitical, economic, and demographic
reservations. The paper predicts that the report will recommend the
start of negotiations; however, the final decision will rest with
state and government leaders who will convene in Brussels in
December.
Meanwhile, the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) emphasized that the
EU toughened the accession conditions for Turkey.
Yesterday's edition of the Guardian claims that the real issue in
terms of Turkey's accession to EU is not religious, but economic. The
paper suggests that Turkey's agrarian-based economy dominated by
middle and lower income groups will clash with the rich
industrialized economies of Western Europe.
Belgium's La Libre Belgique daily writes that the EU holds the "sword
of Democles" over Turkey. The paper indicates that Brussels will try
to maintain its control over Ankara.
Le Soir on the other side claims that the documents discussed by the
EU Commission contain tough conditions.
10.06.2004
Foreign News Services
Istanbul
EU's Historical Step Pleases Turkey
Verheugen Saves Turkey Report
Heated Debates Center around Turkey Report
World Talks about Turkey, Supports Progress Report
Busy Day for EU Sees Croatia Get Date, Turkey Recommended Date
[News Analysis]
Final Decision to be Made on December 17
Commission Foresees Different Procedures for Turkey
Turkey Prepares for Tough Talks with EU
Gul: EU Rejection of Turkey would Insult Islamic World
************************************************** *************************
EU Gives Turkey Green Light
Zaman, Turkey
Oct 2 2004
The European Union (EU) Commission yesterday released its Progress
Report on Turkey. In addition to praising the reforms Turkey
undertook in the five years since it obtained the status of candidate
country in 1999,
the report also gives Turkey the green light to start membership
negotiations. However, the green light comes with strings attached.
EU Commission President Romano Prodi said that the decision is a
"qualified yes". However, he warned that Turkey needs to improve in
the area of human rights, and added that the start of negotiations
does not necessarily guarantee membership.
The report itself clearly states that if Turkey backtracks on reforms
or if political unrest occurs, the Commission could recommend that EU
leaders suspend the talks. Suspension of the negotiations would
require approval of a majority of EU members.
Because several of the EU member countries are still distant to
Turkey's membership, discussions stretched on for hours yesterday.
Political groups in the European Parliament voiced their views on the
results of the report.
Commission officials emphasized that the negotiations are a process
and that reforms as well as their implementation should be
maintained; otherwise, the negotiations will be suspended.
On the other hand, there was confusion over the inclusion of a few
articles in the report. Some experts assessed the EU's addition of
measures such as suspending negotiations, restricting free movement,
and holding open-ended talks as amounting to a double-standard for
Turkey. Others defended that such measures were included in order to
tame the opposition against Turkey.
European Union (EU) Commissioner for Enlargement Gunter Verheugen put
forward that Ankara should not be concerned about the restriction on
free travel.
"We don't start negotiations with three options. Our only goal is to
sign the accession agreement with Turkey," explained the
Commissioner.
In an exclusive interview, Verheugen said that the condition to
suspend negotiations is just a precaution. He indicated it would only
be employed in case of a military coup, religious revolt, or the
revival of the death penalty.
"Turkey is no longer in the category of the countries that do not
respect human rights," added Verhugen.
Even though the report praises Turkey progress, many parts of the
report constantly remind the country of the need to implement
reforms.
The report credits Turkey's current Justice and Development Party
(AKP) government with realizing the bulk of the reforms undertaken
since the 1999 Helsinki summit. However, it notes that torture and
bureaucratic resistance to reforms are areas that Turkey still needs
to work on.
The report also encourages Turkey to take a harder look at
implementing reforms related to freedoms of thought and religion and
the rights of women and minorities.
While the Commission did not mention any date regarding when the
negotiations would begin, Ankara reminded that the EU previously
decided "to start negotiations immediately if the report is
positive."
The report also does not hint when the negotiations might be
completed.
************************************************** *************************
EU's Historical Step Pleases Turkey
10.07.2004
Brussels, Zaman
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday that the
Progress Report released by the European Union (EU) Commission is
"generally balanced".
Erdogan, holding a press meeting at the European Council yesterday in
Strasbourg, added that he believes the Commission report will be
approved in its current form at the December 17 EU summit.
"Since the report is affirmative, negotiations should officially
start within the first few months of 2005," said Erdogan.
When reminded that Commission President Romano Prodi announced the
report with a "conditional yes", the Prime Minister responded: "There
is no such thing. I think there is a miscommunication."
"Today, we have reached the first target. We were given the first
green light, and we completed the first lap in the flag race,"
indicated Erdogan. He also emphasized that Turkey does not want any
special privileges during the membership process.
The Prime Minister then underlined the fact that by fulfilling some
of the criteria, Turkey was already ahead of some current EU member
countries. "We demand what is just for Turkey, nothing else."
Regarding the suspension of negotiations if deemed necessary, Erdogan
said, "This could be disrespectful to a country that sped up the
democratization process. If there is civil insurrection in a country
then [the negotiations] should be suspended."
Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul assessed the report
for the press in Ankara. He said that the Commission took a
historical step both in terms of Turkey and the EU.
Gul however expressed his disturbance at the fact that the report
contains criteria and precautions for Turkey that fall outside of the
Helsinki resolutions. Gul objected to the idea of "open-ended"
negotiations. He said that "full membership" could be the only result
of the talks.
************************************************** *************************
Verheugen Saves Turkey Report
10.07.2004
Ali Ihsan Aydin, Cemil Kartal, Suleyman Kurt
Strasbourg, Ankara
The release of yesterday's Progress Report on Turkey caused heated
debates in the European Union (EU) Commission.
The attempts by Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration to
include a clause requiring Turkey to recognize the Greek Cypriot
administration in the report almost brought the meeting to a halt.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Gunter Verheugen emphasized that Turkey
supported the Annan Plan for a solution in Cyprus and therefore met
its responsibility in the issue.
In addition, EU Commissioner for External Affairs Chris Patten
stressed that such a condition cannot be put forward for Turkey since
it did as much as it could regarding the issue.
On the other side, several more commissioners announced their support
for the position of the Greek side. French commissioners Pascal Lamy
and Jacques Barrot, Spanish commissioner Loyola de Palacio, and
Slovak commissioner Jan Figel all acknowledged that they supported
the Greek attempt.
As the heated discussions continued, Verheugen said that if the
Greeks insist on their argument, he would withdraw the report. Patten
fully supported Verheugen, saying it would be proper to withdraw the
report. The duo's firm stance made the Greeks step back.
The Greek side had wanted to append the phrase "all parties should
recognize each other" to a paragraph on the 9th page of the report
that reads, "Negotiations will be conducted with the participation of
EU members within the framework of an intergovernmental conference
requiring a unanimous vote."
In the end, the sentence was included in an indirect form that
reminds Turkey the Greeks will be at the negotiation table.
************************************************** *************************
Heated Debates Center around Turkey Report
10.07.2004
Foreign News Services
Istanbul
The European Union (EU) Commission's Progress Report on Turkey caused
heated debates yesterday among the political groups in the European
Parliament.
"I think this is the biggest nonsense I heard in 2004," said Europe
People's Party leader Hans-Gert Poettering when the Commission
announced that there was no evidence of systematic torture in Turkey.
Socialist leader Martin Schulz said: "We want big security plans to
be made in order to preserve the peace in the 21st century. I think
we have a better chance for this with Turkey than without Turkey."
Liberal group leader Graham Watson said, "The EU's openness to Turkey
should contribute to the harmonization of the three monotheist
religions."
Daniel Cohn-Bendit of the Greens, which reacted against the
anti-Turkey groups, signaled his support for start of negotiations.
"I absolutely believe that this will contribute to peace. At the same
time, it will increase Europe's strategic importance in a dangerous
world."
************************************************** *************************
World Talks about Turkey, Supports Progress Report
10.07.2004
Cihan
Brussels
Media institutions the world over provided ample coverage of the
release of the European Union (EU) Commission's Progress Report on
Turkey and the ensuing reactions.
EU Term President the Netherlands informed, "The impartial decision
that will be made at the December summit will be based upon the
findings of this report."
The Netherlands added that the reason no date was given for the start
of negotiations was because Turkey still had some deficiencies that
needed to be addressed.
The US administration meanwhile disclosed that it was satisfied with
the report.
German Chancellor Gerhard Shröeder repeated his support for a date to
begin negotiations, and said he found the report "fine and serious".
Elsewhere, French President Jacques Chirac insisted that Turkey's
accession could take at least 10-15 years if EU members reach a
consensus to start the negotiations. He also repeated his view on
conducting a referendum on Turkey's full membership.
On the other side, British Prime Minister Tony Blair gave strong
support to Ankara. British Foreign Affairs Minister Jack Straw added
that the "EU should keep its promise now."
Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen found the report
"deliberate but positive".
The Italian government signified that the report would ease the
process of giving a negotiation date. "The Italian government will
continue to implement its duty on the issue."
Greece, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Slovenia also strongly supported
Ankara's membership.
Austrian Prime Minister Wolfgang Schuessel warned Europe not to close
its doors to Turkey.
************************************************** *************************
Busy Day for EU Sees Croatia Get Date, Turkey Recommended Date
10.07.2004
Foreign News Services
Istanbul
The European Union (EU) Commission advised that membership
negotiations with Croatia should begin in early 2005.
EU Commissioner for Enlargement Gunter Verheugen said yesterday in
his speech at the European Parliament, "The Commission provides a
basis to start negotiations with Croatia next year."
The recommendation of the Commission will be decided on at the EU
Leaders Summit on December 17. The EU Commission also advised the
membership of Bulgaria and Romania to the Union in 2007.
Meanwhile, opponents of Turkey in the European Council tried to
append conditions to the report on Turkey just prior to the report's
release. Suggested conditions ranged from acceptance of the
[so-called] Armenian genocide to a privileged partnership; however,
none of the conditions were added.
A few commissioners suggested that Turkey had not met the required
criteria. They therefore argued against the recommendation of a
negotiation date.
On the other hand, a large majority of the commissioners supported
the start of the negotiations, assuming Turkey fulfilled some
provisions.
No voting session was held in the Commission, and the decision was
taken by consensus rather than unanimity.
************************************************** *************************
[News Analysis]
Final Decision to be Made on December 17
10.07.2004
Zaman
Brussels
The long-awaited Progress Report on Turkey was finally released
yesterday. The report did not declare an "exact yes"; however, at the
same time there were no heavy conditions that Turkey would be unable
to handle. The important thing was whether or not the Commission,
after a 45-year struggle, would advise an unconditional start to
negotiations. It has been achieved; however, strings have been
attached to the actual negotiation process.
We should agree on this: the European Union (EU) will conduct the
membership negotiations with Turkey in a different way. Like EU
Commissioner for Agriculture Franz Fischler, an opponent of Turkey's
membership, said yesterday, the negotiation with Turkey would not be
the same as the ones held for the other countries.
It has been predicted that Ankara will easily digest conditions such
as open-ended negotiations and the EU's ability to suspend
negotiations if Turkey backtracks on reforms. It is true that these
conditions are valid for other countries in word, but they were
handed to Ankara in writing.
Yet, the "permanent restriction" on one of the EU's four basic
liberties, freedom of movement, indicates that the attitudes towards
Ankara are different.
Though the expression about the permanent restriction in the
recommendation is not binding, it matters in two aspects: The first
is that these arguments will constantly be brought up during the
negotiations, which could last 10-15 years; Second, an appropriate
circumstance will be created so as to allow EU leaders to make
ambiguous decisions at the December 17th EU summit.
At the December 2002 Copenhagen Summit EU leaders said that they
would decide according to the progress and recommendation report;
they pledged to start negotiations immediately if the results were
positive. What is expected from the EU leaders on December 17 is a
decision to start negotiations in February or March of next year.
Turkey, which has had the negotiation decision in its pocket, both
decisively carries on the reform process and reminds the EU to keep
its promise.
Brussels advises the opening of negotiations based on the assumption
that reforms such as the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) and Appellate
Courts law will be completed by December. Ankara should not let
opponents create excuses.
It is advantageous to stay on guard until December 17 by considering
the possibility that the leaders will dilute the report's
recommendation. That is the very time we will understand how
seriously the EU takes the report.
************************************************** *************************
Commission Foresees Different Procedures for Turkey
10.07.2004
Selcuk Gultasli
Brussels
The European Union (EU)'s Progress Report on Turkey, which will be
released tomorrow by the European Commission for Enlargement, will
recommend that Turkey follows a different schedule for accession
negotiations - a schedule, the Commission tells Ankara, that previous
countries were subject to, albeit indirectly.
The Commission's change in timeline attends to the anxieties of
Turkey's opponents, while its defense reassures Ankara that it is
receiving equal treatment. Many of the recommendations that were not
given to previous countries are not new the Commission said, and are
merely solidified for Turkey.
Below are some of the reports conclusions.
- The 9-page report will recommend the start of negotiations.
- The start of negotiations will not depend on one condition, and its
continuity will be indexed to many conditions.
- The discussion process does not promise automatic membership. The
process is therefore open ended.
- Rules that were negligible, and not mentioned for former
candidates, will be solidified for Turkey.
- If Turkey does not fulfill all recommendations, discussions could
be delayed.
- Negotiations will not be done in a chronological fashion, rather,
Turkey will address several recommendations at once.
- Turkey's application will be taken under microscope.
While writing the report, the Commission was sensitive to the
concerns of its constituents. One Commission official even said that
the report's recommendations were a "foot massage" for the EU.
Intense debate and argument surrounded the report's drafting.
Reporters suggested that if the General Managers within the
Commission for Enlargement couldn't compromise, then the
Commissioners would have to when they convened on Wednesday.
According to sources within the Commission, the French brought a
plethora of concerns to yesterday's discussions regarding the
recommendation's context. Some sources noted that French President
Jacques Chirac has turbulent approval from the public -- fodder for
Prime Minister Erdogan to publicly jest him.
************************************************** *************************
Turkey Prepares for Tough Talks with EU
10.06.2004
Foreign News Services
Istanbul
Last second negotiations took place in the run up to today's release
of the European Union (EU) Commission's Progress Report on Turkey.
Anti-Turkey EU members attempted to append plenty of conditions to
the recommendation report. Ankara on the other hand warned Brussels
about applying a double standard to Turkey's membership bid.
"We did our homework, now it is Europe's turn to take the test,"
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said from Strasbourg.
Recommendations put forward the other day by general directors in the
Commission raised concerns in Ankara.
Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul held frequent talks over the
phone with his German, Dutch, British and Spanish counterparts, as
well as EU Commissioner for Enlargement Gunter Verheugen. Gul
requested that the negativities be ironed out. One of Ankara's
greatest concerns was talk about including a "permanent restriction"
on the movement of Turks in Europe. Turkey made its displeasure
known, and in the end the proposed restriction was softened.
Turkey expects the fact that it has completed all the political
criteria to feature prominently in the report.
Foreign Ministry diplomats in Ankara who assessed the "whispers"
coming from Brussels held a two session meeting led by Gul. During
the meeting, the EU Commission's Ankara Office of Representative was
contacted. A high-level diplomat described the atmosphere in general
as "cloudy yet moderate".
Ankara discussed with Brussels Turkey's approach to "possible
conditions", such as being forced to recognize the So-Called Armenian
Genocide, recognition of the Greek Cypriot administration of EU
member Cyprus, and restriction on free travel.
Points that Turkey could definitely not accept were clearly addressed
one by one. For instance, EU Commissioner for Trade Pascal Lamy the
other day insisted on the recognition of the [So-Called] Armenian
genocide as a pre-condition.
Ankara explained to Brussels that it is ready to meet any demand
regarding the Copenhagen Criteria; however, it underlined that it
would not tolerate demands unrelated to the Criteria in the
recommendation report.
Meanwhile, EU Commission President Romano Prodi reiterated that there
would be "no special conditions for Turkey."
Ankara relaxed a bit when Brussels explained that the rule of halting
negotiations would be applied to all candidate countries from now on,
including Croatia. The rule will allow the EU to suspend negotiations
with candidate countries if there is a constant deviation from human
rights and basic freedoms. EU sources point out that military coups
and backward steps in the reform process would also lead to the
suspension of negotiations.
Diplomatic sources disclose that absence of an expression calling for
an immediate start to negotiations would not constitute any
difficulty for Ankara since a decision in that direction had already
been reached at the EU Copenhagen Summit in 2002.
************************************************** *************************
Gul: EU Rejection of Turkey would Insult Islamic World
10.06.2004
Selcuk Gultasli, Salih Boztas
Brussels
While the European press write that today's European Union (EU)
Progress Report on Turkey is not a "technical" decision based solely
on the Copenhagen Criteria, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul
said yesterday that he is certain negotiations will start; however,
he warned that the Islamic world would perceive a "subjective
political rejection" as an insult.
Gul explained that Turkey has changed in the last two years. He said
that the conditions required to begin negotiations have been
fulfilled and that no matter what, Turkey's reform process would
continue.
"What if EU rejects Turkey?" asked one reporter.
Gul replied, "If a subjective political 'no' comes out, its
ramifications will not be limited to Turkey. Everyone will begin to
say, 'Regardless of what you do, you will never be accepted since you
are Muslim.' This would provide the Islamic world with a source of
enmity against Europe. It becomes a great insult. This is a test not
only for Turkey, but Europe as well."
Turkey dominated the headlines across Europe yesterday. The UK's
Financial Times contends that in theory the decision about whether or
not to start negotiations is a technical decision that should be made
depending on Turkey's progress in democracy and human rights;
however, in practice it goes far beyond the technical points.
Despite the claims of pro-Turkey Europeans who defend that the
decision on Turkey's membership was given 40 years ago, anti-Turkey
Europeans still maintain some geopolitical, economic, and demographic
reservations. The paper predicts that the report will recommend the
start of negotiations; however, the final decision will rest with
state and government leaders who will convene in Brussels in
December.
Meanwhile, the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) emphasized that the
EU toughened the accession conditions for Turkey.
Yesterday's edition of the Guardian claims that the real issue in
terms of Turkey's accession to EU is not religious, but economic. The
paper suggests that Turkey's agrarian-based economy dominated by
middle and lower income groups will clash with the rich
industrialized economies of Western Europe.
Belgium's La Libre Belgique daily writes that the EU holds the "sword
of Democles" over Turkey. The paper indicates that Brussels will try
to maintain its control over Ankara.
Le Soir on the other side claims that the documents discussed by the
EU Commission contain tough conditions.
10.06.2004
Foreign News Services
Istanbul