Cyprus-Forum.com

[joe]

Euro MPs deplore Turkey's slow reform progress


26/09/2006

The European Union on Tuesday criticised Turkey over its slow pace of reforms, urging Ankara to respect its obligations in order to continue talks on EU membership.

Most of the European parliamentary deputies debating the issue in Strasbourg echoed the views of the European Commission and the Finnish EU presidency which deplored the lack of momentum in the Turkish reform process.

"Turkey needs to give fresh impetus to reforms," said Finland's minister for European affairs, Paula Lehtomaki.

"The momentum for reform has slowed down in Turkey in the past year," echoed EU Enlargement Minister Olli Rehn

There was more support for Turkish membership from the European socialists, with bloc leader Martin Schulz arguing that Turkish EU membership would "refute irrevocably the idea that western values are incompatible with Islam".

The debate came on the day that the EU announced that Bulgaria and Romania could join the group in 2007.

That announcement came with a stark message from EU Commission President Jose Manuel Durao Barroso that the union had to get its institutional house in order before letting any other nations in.

A senior Turkish diplomat said Tuesday that EU officials do not expect Turkey to be ready for membership before 2015.

Turkey's accession talks, which started last October, have met with serious European opposition amid concerns over its sizeable population, relatively weak economy and predominantly Muslim faith.

The Commission is set to issue a crucial report on Turkey's progress towards membership on November 8 amid mounting EU criticism that Ankara is failing to ensure freedom of speech and a row over trade privileges for Cyprus.

"If there is no progress," before then "there will be consequences for the whole accession process," said Lehtomaki.

Last week, the EU slammed Ankara for failing to promote free speech after best-selling novelist Elif Shafak went on trial for insulting the Turkish nation in a book about the massacres of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire.

Even though the writer was swiftly acquitted, the Commission said "a significant threat to freedom of expression" remains in Turkish law and urged amendements in the penal code, including the infamous Article 301, which landed Shafak and a string of other intellectuals in court.

Turkey's EU bid is also complicated by its rejection to open its sea and air ports to Greek Cypriot ships and planes on the grounds that international restrictions on the breakaway Turkish Cypriot statelet should also be lifted.

"The credibility of the European institutions are at stake," EU rapporteur on Turkey Camiel Eurlings told the parliamentary plenary debate.

Eurlings is the author of a recent hard-hitting report on Turkey which will go to a vote here on Wednesday.

While there was general unanimity on Turkey's poor human rights record and restrictions on the freedoms of religion and free speech, the eurodeputies remained divided on whether an apology from Turkey is required over the Armenian massacre.

Earlier this month Turkey denounced an EU report saying that Ankara must recognize the 1915-1917 genocide in Armenia as a condition for joining the EU.

Armenians estimate that up to 1.5 million of their forebears perished in systematic killings orchestrated by the Ottoman Empire between 1915 to 1917.

Ankara rejects all accusations of genocide.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged Tuesday that Turkey would stick to the path of democratic reform.

"We are keeping up the reform process, without slowing down and without losing our enthusiasm," Erdogan said in a speech.

He added, however, that freedoms cannot be "limitless" and underlined that enacting higher democracy norms in the country also required "a change in mentality" among the judiciary, "which does not happen overnight."

[Sotos]

Why the EU needs to force Turkey to make reforms? The Turkish people don't want reforms? If they don't want such reforms then maybe Turks and Europeans are not compatible?

[reportfromcyprus]

In the interests of fairness, it took many decades for Cyprus to join the EU. Is that because Cyprus and the EU weren't compatible?

No, it's because they had a long way to go economically, and many, many changes to make legally, which they are still making.

[souroul]

Why the EU needs to force Turkey to make reforms? The Turkish people don't want reforms? If they don't want such reforms then maybe Turks and Europeans are not compatible?

Sotos, when they applied last year, they knew where they were getting into

[Piratis]

In the interests of fairness, it took many decades for Cyprus to join the EU

Cyprus applied in 1990 and joined less than one a half decade later. Turkey applied in 1987, and the earliest they will join will be 2015 ... or never.

Cyprus and Turkey can not be compared. If the Americans were not pushing hard for the EU accession of Turkey such thing would not have even been considered.

Personally I doubt Turkey can make the changes required. In fact I believe that if their accession process is halted, all the changes they did so far will be reverted, since they are doing it just for the eyes of EU, and not because they want to.

[reportfromcyprus]

In the interests of fairness, it took many decades for Cyprus to join the EU

Cyprus applied in 1990 and joined less than one a half decade later. Turkey applied in 1987, and the earliest they will join will be 2015 ... or never.

Cyprus and Turkey can not be compared. If the Americans were not pushing hard for the EU accession of Turkey such thing would not have even been considered.

Personally I doubt Turkey can make the changes required. In fact I believe that if their accession process is halted, all the changes they did so far will be reverted, since they are doing it just for the eyes of EU, and not because they want to.

Cyprus was in preparation to apply for membership since the 1970's and also, you can't tell me that we're 100% in the union as yet, since 37% of the island is excluded.

My point is that any country has a challenge to change its infrastructure and attitudes. Greece also had tremendous challenges with strikes every other week.

[Mickleham]

For Turkey that means: EU membership Yiok!

[cypezokyli]

For Turkey that means: EU membership Yiok!

may i ask how you came to that conclusion ?

the report certainly is important to notice, but it is not binding.
the commission still needs to decide...and thats not the end of the story...
the presidents, of all countries will have to discuss bargain etc..

the EU, its a really complicated process, and the time till december is expected to be extremelly interesting.


at the same time, turkey better take the report seriously, and start fullfilling its commitments. most of those things turkey alsready commited in fulliflling in previous meetings. so if erdogan doesnt take some serious steps , and chooses to secure his victory in the elections...the train crash might come not only over cyprus

[Viewpoint]

Never under estimate Turkey, I admit she is always slow off the blocks but always appears to do well at the end of the race.

[cypezokyli]

true.
but this time, the race appears tougher.
dont ask me for predictions though