Brussels, 25/05/2005 (Agence Europe) - Turkish Minister for the Economy Ali Babacan is to be Turkey's chief negotiator in EU membership talks. The prime minister of Turkey announced this appointment on Tuesday, awaited since the decision taken by the 25 at the December 2004 European Council to launch accession negotiations with Turkey on 3 October 2005. The name of the foreign minister, Abdullah Gül, had done the rounds. Mr Babacan will perhaps accompany Prime Minister Erdogan to the European Council on 16 and 17 June, Turkish sources say.
The European Commission is now preparing the Council mandate that it is to receive for accession talks, but does not wish to state the date when it will propose it to the Council. The Council has still to endorse the text for extension of the EU-Turkey customs union to the new Member States including Cyprus, for signature.