Brussels, 11/04/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 10 April, the Turkish ministers for foreign affairs, Egemen Bagis, and work and social security, Faruk Celik, met Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Füle and Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion Laszlo Andor to ask for chapter 19 of the accession negotiations - a chapter on social policy and employment - to be opened, according to Turkish media. While Bagis stressed that “the meeting was very positive on the opening of chapter 19”, the president of the Turkish union of chambers and commodity exchanges (TOBB), Rifat Hasarciklioglu, who was also present, said he was “very optimistic”, adding that he had “never seen a more positive meeting than this meeting” of 10 April.
In its press release, the European Commission said that “it has been agreed” that the Commission is going to continue to work in close collaboration on the continued alignment of the Turkish legal framework with European standards and the opening benchmark for chapter 19. Füle and Andor also welcomed Ankara's progress on union rights both in the public and private sectors, with the adoption in 2012 of two laws by the Turkish Parliament.
As well as Hasarciklioglu, the head of the Turkish confederation of employer associations (TISK), Tugrul Kutadgobilik, and the secretary general of the confederation of Turkish trade unions, Mustafa Kumlu, also participated in this meeting, which took part as part of the positive agenda for Turkey. (CG/transl.fl)