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EuroNews
Oct 3 2005
More needed from Turkey before EU membership
Distant cousin or near neighbour? Perceptions may differ in Europe
but both sides of the internal EU debate have long agreed on the need
for reform in Turkey before it can join the bloc. Ankara can claim to
have ticked many items off the list of changes demanded by Brussels.
These include scrapping the death penalty, enhancing minority rights,
banning sexual discrimination and curtailing the role of the
military.
But even after the start of entry talks more will need to be done
before eventual membership not earlier than 2014. It was only last
year, after decades of developing relations, that the EU agreed a
deal by which this week's entry talks could begin. Among the issues
still to be dealt with is a European Parliament demand that Turks
acknowledge as genocide the mass killing of Armenians 90 years ago.
Ankara is also under pressure to recognise Cyprus, one of the new EU
members.
It has extended its customs agreement with the Union to include
Cyprus but says this does not amount to recognition of the Greek
Cypriot government as the sole legitimate authority on the island.
Among those wanting their voice heard is Turkey's Kurdish minority. A
demonstration in Brussels on Friday was to intended to send a message
to EU negotiators that Kurds have grievances which still need to be
addressed. These are just some of the obstacles Ankara will have to
overcome on the long and difficult road to Brussels.
Oct 3 2005
More needed from Turkey before EU membership
Distant cousin or near neighbour? Perceptions may differ in Europe
but both sides of the internal EU debate have long agreed on the need
for reform in Turkey before it can join the bloc. Ankara can claim to
have ticked many items off the list of changes demanded by Brussels.
These include scrapping the death penalty, enhancing minority rights,
banning sexual discrimination and curtailing the role of the
military.
But even after the start of entry talks more will need to be done
before eventual membership not earlier than 2014. It was only last
year, after decades of developing relations, that the EU agreed a
deal by which this week's entry talks could begin. Among the issues
still to be dealt with is a European Parliament demand that Turks
acknowledge as genocide the mass killing of Armenians 90 years ago.
Ankara is also under pressure to recognise Cyprus, one of the new EU
members.
It has extended its customs agreement with the Union to include
Cyprus but says this does not amount to recognition of the Greek
Cypriot government as the sole legitimate authority on the island.
Among those wanting their voice heard is Turkey's Kurdish minority. A
demonstration in Brussels on Friday was to intended to send a message
to EU negotiators that Kurds have grievances which still need to be
addressed. These are just some of the obstacles Ankara will have to
overcome on the long and difficult road to Brussels.