Brussels, 27/05/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 27 May, the European Union repeated its desire to bring accession negotiations with Turkey to a successful conclusion, but stressed that the pace and timetable for talks would depend on the speed and quality of the reforms undertaken by Ankara, notably in the areas of privacy and the rule of law. “Turkey will be one of the most important member states of the EU and we hope that the process of accession will soon be over,” said current EU Council President Dimitrij Rupel following the 46th EU-Turkey Association Council in Brussels on 27 May. Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn also said that the “shared goal” was Turkey's accession “provided that it respects the conditions”. That was why Ankara must now concentrate on three things, Rehn said: “Reform, reform, reform”. Up to this point, accession negotiations have made slow progress: since they were launched in October 2005, only 6 of the 35 chapters have been opened for negotiation, and only one (science and research) has been provisionally closed. The Slovenian Presidency intends to open two further chapters at the ministerial negotiating meeting scheduled for 17 June.
Rehn told press how Turkey could speed up the negotiation process. Firstly, the Turkish government would have to make decisions on a series of chapters for which the EU had set “purely technical criteria” as opening benchmarks. He cited as an example the “competition policy” chapter, where the Commission expects Ankara to align its legislation with the acquis communautaire and set up an independent authority to monitor state aid. Only after that is done can the Commission recommend to member states that negotiations should be opened. Secondly, there are the 8 chapters on which negotiations have been suspended since the Council decision of December 2006, after Turkey refused to extend the EU-Turkey Customs Union to all new member states, including Cyprus. Here too, Turkey could find a way out of the impasse if it wanted, Rehn said. Thirdly, the important chapter on “fundamental rights” could be opened for negotiation if Turkey could demonstrate a sufficient guarantee of freedom of expression. The recent reform of Article 301 of the criminal code was a step in the right direction, but it would have to be followed up by other measures in other areas, Rehn said. The EU also wants the reform of Article 301 to be implemented in practice. “It's really in the hands of Turkey to accelerate the process,” Rehn concluded.
Turkish Foreign Minister and Chief Negotiator in the accession negotiations Ali Babacan put a different slant on things. “The pace of negotiations depends on both Turkey and the EU” which had to ensure that files which were “technically ready” were indeed put on the negotiating table. Babacan also complained that certain negotiation chapters had been “blocked for political reasons”. Here he was referring to France, which does not want Turkey in the EU and which, consequently, was refusing to look at five chapters (Economic and Monetary Union, the CAP, regional policy and structural instruments, institutions, and budget) which are essential to accession. Every decision on enlargement, it should be noted, has to be made unanimously by Council. On 26 May, addressing the European Policy Centre (see related article), French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, who will chair the EU Council in the second half of 2008, reiterated France's policy on this issue. Under French Presidency, the EU will attempt to open as many chapters as possible as long as they are not chapters which could only lead to accession, Kouchner said.
Babacan, once again, pointed out that “Turkey has only one aim: to join the European Union”. He pointed out that the member states had also subscribed “unanimously” to that aim, and that the EU would lose all “credibility” if it put this “common aim” in doubt. Rupel did not see things that way. EU decisions were sometimes “difficult”, particularly decisions about enlargement, and “patience” was needed, but the heart of negotiations with Turkey could not be put in question, he said.
Attempts to put a ban on the AKP party, currently being considered in the Constitutional Court, were also discussed by the Association Council. The EU repeated its concern (“Banning a political party cannot be considered as 'business as usual',” said Commissioner Rehn) and stressed that the principles of the rule of law had to be observed. Neither the Presidency nor the Commission would be any more specific on the consequences for the accession talks, were the AKP to be banned.
On international relations, the EU warmly acknowledged the role of “mediator” and “facilitator” that Turkey was playing between Israel and Syria at the moment. These two countries do not speak to one another directly, but have begun dialogue through Turkey. (H.B.)