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ANKARA OFFERED SMALL CHANCE TO EU CHAPTER
15:04 â~@¢ 03.03.14
Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan with European Parliament President
Schulz, European Union Council President van Rompuy ( and European
Commission President Barroso in Brussels (Reuters photo)
Reluctant to open new chapters with Turkey, the EU Commission instead
offered to hold a working group meeting with Ankara on Chapter 23,
which covers the judiciary and fundamental rights, the Hurriyet Daily
News has learned.
The proposal, which was conveyed to Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
and EU Minister Mevlut Cavushoglu on Feb. 11 during the Turkey-EU
Political Dialogue meeting, is interpreted as an indication of
hesitation from the EU to open new membership negotiation chapters
due to recent political developments in Turkey.
The EU has been repeatedly expressing concern over a series of recently
passed laws by the Turkish government, following the revelation of
corruption in graft probes that have shaken the government since
December.
Brussels has publicly urged the government several times to take
every necessary measure to ensure the allegations of wrongdoing are
addressed without discrimination or preference, and in a transparent
and impartial manner.
Turkey wants to open Chapter 17, on economic and monetary union,
Chapter 24, on justice, freedom and security, in 2014, as well as
Chapter 23. However, no work has been accomplished to allow Turkey to
meet the opening benchmarks on these chapters, according to officials
familiar with the negotiations.
Turkey had pinned its hopes on French President Francois Hollande,
whose country still holds a block on four negotiation chapters.
Although Hollande said France was in favor of the continuation of
technical talks, he did not mention opening Chapter 17 during his
visit to Ankara in January, a Turkish official said. Chapter 17 has
no opening benchmarks.
For the opening of Chapters 23 and 24, countries such as France and
Germany are expected to persuade Greek Cyprus to remove its blockade,
but Ankara has not received any signals in this direction. Therefore,
establishing a working group on Chapter 23 is interpreted as signifying
the EU Commission's willingness to continue working with Turkey to
move forward to help it meet its opening benchmarks.
The same methodology has been used for Chapter 22, on regional
policy, whose opening was delayed due to a number of EU countries'
objections to the Turkish government's brutal crackdown on the Gezi
Park protests last summer. The Commission offered to hold a working
group including civic society groups such as the Taksim Solidarity
Platform, as third parties, but Ankara rejected the idea at the time,
the Daily News learned.
Armenian News - Tert.am
15:04 â~@¢ 03.03.14
Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan with European Parliament President
Schulz, European Union Council President van Rompuy ( and European
Commission President Barroso in Brussels (Reuters photo)
Reluctant to open new chapters with Turkey, the EU Commission instead
offered to hold a working group meeting with Ankara on Chapter 23,
which covers the judiciary and fundamental rights, the Hurriyet Daily
News has learned.
The proposal, which was conveyed to Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
and EU Minister Mevlut Cavushoglu on Feb. 11 during the Turkey-EU
Political Dialogue meeting, is interpreted as an indication of
hesitation from the EU to open new membership negotiation chapters
due to recent political developments in Turkey.
The EU has been repeatedly expressing concern over a series of recently
passed laws by the Turkish government, following the revelation of
corruption in graft probes that have shaken the government since
December.
Brussels has publicly urged the government several times to take
every necessary measure to ensure the allegations of wrongdoing are
addressed without discrimination or preference, and in a transparent
and impartial manner.
Turkey wants to open Chapter 17, on economic and monetary union,
Chapter 24, on justice, freedom and security, in 2014, as well as
Chapter 23. However, no work has been accomplished to allow Turkey to
meet the opening benchmarks on these chapters, according to officials
familiar with the negotiations.
Turkey had pinned its hopes on French President Francois Hollande,
whose country still holds a block on four negotiation chapters.
Although Hollande said France was in favor of the continuation of
technical talks, he did not mention opening Chapter 17 during his
visit to Ankara in January, a Turkish official said. Chapter 17 has
no opening benchmarks.
For the opening of Chapters 23 and 24, countries such as France and
Germany are expected to persuade Greek Cyprus to remove its blockade,
but Ankara has not received any signals in this direction. Therefore,
establishing a working group on Chapter 23 is interpreted as signifying
the EU Commission's willingness to continue working with Turkey to
move forward to help it meet its opening benchmarks.
The same methodology has been used for Chapter 22, on regional
policy, whose opening was delayed due to a number of EU countries'
objections to the Turkish government's brutal crackdown on the Gezi
Park protests last summer. The Commission offered to hold a working
group including civic society groups such as the Taksim Solidarity
Platform, as third parties, but Ankara rejected the idea at the time,
the Daily News learned.
Armenian News - Tert.am