Financial Times, UK
June 26 2005
EU to discuss framework for Turkish talk
By Daniel Dombey in Brussels and Vincent Boland in Ankara
Published: June 26 2005 19:24 | Last updated: June 26 2005 19:24
The last act in Turkey’s decades-long quest to hold membership talks
with the European Union will begin this week, when the European
Commission sets out the proposed rules for the negotiations.
Unless all 25 EU member states can agree on a version of the
`negotiating framework’ which sets out the principles, procedures,
and issues for the planned talks the process will not begin on
schedule on October 3.
Olli Rehn, enlargement commissioner, has called on the EU to honour
its commitment, as has Tony Blair, incoming president of the council
of EU member states.
At present, EU officials believe the negotiations will begin on time,
but are still not certain. The key discussion between EU governments
is likely to be in September, just when Germany is expected to hold
elections that could be won by the Christian Democrats, who oppose
Turkish membership.
Turkey itself plays down any risk of delay, but also sounds a much
more cautious note than last year about its chances of membership.
`The negotiations will start on time because no European leader wants
to risk a rupture of EU-Turkish relations right now,’ said a Turkish
official. `Whether in six or seven years, people decide in favour of
some kind of privileged partnership rather than membership, that is a
different issue.’
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, prime minister, underlined Turkey’s position at
the weekend, saying it would not agree to any new conditions for EU
membership.
But in line with decisions endorsed by EU leaders, the Commission’s
proposed negotiating framework for Ankara, due to be presented on
Wednesday, will be far tougher than the ground rules for the 10
countries that joined last year.
Turkey, like Croatia, the EU’s other formal candidate for membership,
must not just promise reforms but implement them during the
negotiating process.
Even so, France and the Netherlands, two countries where wariness
about Turkish membership played a role in No votes on the EU
constitution, want the EU to look at Turkey’s record in recent
reforms before even beginning the talks.
Turkey pushed through a package of reforms this month, but Paris and
the Hague want the EU to examine their implementation ahead of the
Commission’s October report on the country.
Murat Yetkin, a columnist for Radikal newspaper, wrote on Friday that
Ankara had to be prepared for more difficulties ahead in Turkey’s
relationship with the EU.
He said the government needed to be ready to address difficult
questions such as Armenian claims of genocide in 1915, recognition of
the government of Cyprus, and the withdrawal of Turkish troops from
the divided island.