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BLEAK REVIEW SENDS ANKARA SLIDING DOWN EU ORDER
David Charter, Brussels
The Australian, Australia
Oct 17 2006
THE timetable for Turkey to join the European Union appeared to slip
yesterday when European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso gave
his most pessimistic view of the country's progress towards membership
since formal talks began one yearago.
Mr Barroso, highlighting a slowdown in vital reforms as he prepared
the ground for a critical assessment report, said it could be up to
20 years before Turkey joined.
Ankara's case has suffered blows in recent weeks, including last
week's vote by French deputies to criminalise denial of the World
War I Armenian genocide, an event never recognised as such by Turkey.
While Mr Barroso has made clear that this is not a criterion for EU
membership, he gave a clear signal that Turkey was failing to meet
formal demands that include guarantees for freedom of speech and
greater civilian control over the military.
"We are concerned about Turkey because the pace of reforms is rather
slow, from our point of view," he said.
"I believe it would be great to have Turkey, if Turkey respects all
the economic and political criteria.
"This is not yet the case. It is a country that comes from a different
tradition. There are efforts in the right direction, but nowadays there
is news that is not encouraging in terms of them coming closer to us."
This was a warning to expect a bleak assessment by EU Enlargement
Commissioner Olli Rehn, who is due to give an update on Turkish
efforts to prepare for the35 EU entry criteria on November 8.
When formal talks began with Ankara last year, Mr Rehn spoke of a
time frame of "about 10 to 15 years" before conditions would be right.
Mr Barroso has been reluctant to put his own target on the process
but yesterday showed how much Turkey's case had slipped in 12 months,
saying: "We cannot expect Turkey to become a member in less than 15
to 20 years."
His assessment will provoke fresh concern in Ankara, which is coming
under intense pressure to step up reform and, in particular, resolve
its blockade of vessels from Cyprus.
A failure to do so before the end of the year could lead to a
suspension of the formal EU accession talks.
But Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is said to have refused to give
any further concessions before a Turkish general election next year.
Mr Rehn has spoken of the need to avoid a "train crash" in Turkish
accession negotiations. Austria and France want to hold national
referendums on further enlargement, adding to the hurdles that Turkey
must overcome.
David Charter, Brussels
The Australian, Australia
Oct 17 2006
THE timetable for Turkey to join the European Union appeared to slip
yesterday when European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso gave
his most pessimistic view of the country's progress towards membership
since formal talks began one yearago.
Mr Barroso, highlighting a slowdown in vital reforms as he prepared
the ground for a critical assessment report, said it could be up to
20 years before Turkey joined.
Ankara's case has suffered blows in recent weeks, including last
week's vote by French deputies to criminalise denial of the World
War I Armenian genocide, an event never recognised as such by Turkey.
While Mr Barroso has made clear that this is not a criterion for EU
membership, he gave a clear signal that Turkey was failing to meet
formal demands that include guarantees for freedom of speech and
greater civilian control over the military.
"We are concerned about Turkey because the pace of reforms is rather
slow, from our point of view," he said.
"I believe it would be great to have Turkey, if Turkey respects all
the economic and political criteria.
"This is not yet the case. It is a country that comes from a different
tradition. There are efforts in the right direction, but nowadays there
is news that is not encouraging in terms of them coming closer to us."
This was a warning to expect a bleak assessment by EU Enlargement
Commissioner Olli Rehn, who is due to give an update on Turkish
efforts to prepare for the35 EU entry criteria on November 8.
When formal talks began with Ankara last year, Mr Rehn spoke of a
time frame of "about 10 to 15 years" before conditions would be right.
Mr Barroso has been reluctant to put his own target on the process
but yesterday showed how much Turkey's case had slipped in 12 months,
saying: "We cannot expect Turkey to become a member in less than 15
to 20 years."
His assessment will provoke fresh concern in Ankara, which is coming
under intense pressure to step up reform and, in particular, resolve
its blockade of vessels from Cyprus.
A failure to do so before the end of the year could lead to a
suspension of the formal EU accession talks.
But Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is said to have refused to give
any further concessions before a Turkish general election next year.
Mr Rehn has spoken of the need to avoid a "train crash" in Turkish
accession negotiations. Austria and France want to hold national
referendums on further enlargement, adding to the hurdles that Turkey
must overcome.