Strasbourg, 02/07/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 1 July, Manfred Weber, the leader of the EPP Group at the European Parliament, said that his group no longer wanted Turkey's accession to the EU. “We no longer want Turkey to become a full member of the EU”, he announced at a press conference in Strasbourg. Weber nevertheless supported a closer partnership with Turkey, which he described as a “fundamental partnership”. “There is a debate within our group. This is how we determine our content. We have always said that we need a close partnership with Turkey but that this does not necessarily lead to full membership”, Weber added. “I think that the two parties have realised in recent years that full membership will not work”, he said (our translation).
Since the opening of accession negotiations between the EU and Turkey in 2005, 14 chapters have been opened, and one has been provisionally closed. Eight chapters are currently blocked by the Council - six unilaterally by Cyprus and four by France.
EU welcomes measures to relaunch peace process with Kurds. Elsewhere, and on a different issue, the spokespersons for High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton and Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Füle welcomed, on Tuesday 1 July, the presentation by the Turkish government of new measures “to reinvigorate the peace process” with the Kurds and “ensure the continuation of the current ceasefire”. “The new law should provide a stronger legal basis for talks and can make a positive contribution to stability and human rights in Turkey”, the spokespersons state in a joint press release. They add that the EU supports these efforts towards “a sustainable peace”. The Turkish government presented the European Parliament with a draft law on 26 June, setting a legal framework for the peace negotiations with the Kurds. (CG and EL)