Brussels, 12/11/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 11 November, Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn stated that “there should be no doubt about the European perspective of Turkey”. “The objective does not change, despite the fact that there is a long way to go”, he added during a speech to the European Parliament.
Hahn called for reforms to be continued in the area of the rule of law and fundamental freedoms, in line with European standards. “The Commission renews its call to the Council to define the opening benchmarks for Chapter 23 [judicial apparatus and fundamental rights] and 24 [justice, freedom and security]”, he said. In his view, the EU should “be consistent and use the most effective and constructive tool at our disposal to improve things on the ground, namely the opening benchmarks for these two chapters”.
The opening of these chapters is being blocked by Cyprus. Hahn elsewhere called on Ankara to respect the sovereign rights of Nicosia and its exclusive economic zone, to show restraint and to avoid any statement or action which could provoke further friction (see EUROPE 11184). “At the same time, it is very important that all parties de-escalate tension and act constructively”, he added, “firmly” supporting the efforts of the UN for the Cypriot communities to resume the peace talks.
Hahn also called for the economic dialogue between the EU and Turkey to be strengthened, as well as far-reaching cooperation in the “sectors of mutual strategic importance, such as energy security and transport”. He stated that he would pay particular attention to these domains in order to ensure concrete results for joint benefit. During a bilateral meeting, Hahn and Turkey's Minister for European Affairs Volkan Bozkir agreed to work on the launch of a high level economic dialogue. They agreed on the importance of strengthening cooperation in areas of joint interest “such as the economy and trade, migration and visa policies, as well as foreign policy dialogue”. (CG)