Brussels, 26/06/2007 (Agence Europe) - As foreseen (EUROPE 9454), the EU/Turkey ministerial conference on accession confirmed that membership talks would open on two new chapters: - financial control and statistics. If one adds to this the chapter on enterprise and industrial policy opened in March this year, the German Presidency has managed to begin talks in three new areas. This is a “respectable result” showing that membership talks with Turkey are “still on track”, the German foreign minister and current EU Council president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, told the press. “It is no secret that we would like to open yet another chapter today”, on economic and monetary union (EMU), but the current circumstances do not allow it as “several delegations have reservations on technical issues”, Mr Steinmeier explained, saying he hoped the deadlock would be broken under Portuguese Presidency, during the second half of this year. It is important for the EU to continue the membership process in a “committed and serious” way, as it must be “fair” with Turkey and respect its commitments. “Pacta sunt servanda”, Mr Steinmeier stressed in response to the question raised by a journalist on France's increasingly obvious opposition to Turkey's future membership.
Turkey's negotiator in accession talks, Ali Babacan (who is also minister of the economy), told the press that Turkey was not pleased with the “technical” explanations given by the EU to justify not opening the EMU chapter when, at the technical level, Turkey is perfectly ready to negotiate this chapter (as the Commission confirms, moreover, in its report to Council). “We are not pleased with the technical justifications given to us and we trust that progress will be made on this point during the Portuguese Presidency”, Mr Babacan said. Without mentioning the name of France - which is blocking the opening of the chapter to show its hostility towards Turkey's membership to single currency and to the EU in general - Mr Babacan called on the EU27 to honour their commitments and to abide by “negotiating practice”. Turkey's aim remains “full and complete accession” and internal reforms will be continued in order to attain this aim, Mr Babacan said.
Derailing of the accession process would have an adverse effect not only for Turkey but also for the European Union, he said. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, also stressed the strategic importance of Turkey for the EU, mainly in the Middle East. “It is not in our strategic interest to have Turkey turn away from us to move in another direction”, he said.
At this stage, Turkey has concluded only one chapter in accession talks, that on science and research. (hb)