Euro-reporters.com, Belgium
July 14 2005

Turkey disappoints
Written by Brussels journalist David Ferguson
Thursday, 14 July 2005

Turkish Chief EU Negotiator Ali Babacan failed to make the best of
impressions with MEPs in Brussels. “Babacan avoided talking about the
most obvious shortcomings of Turkey regarding the accession criteria
such as the recognition of Cyprus, the Armenian genocide, the status
of the Kurds and the adoption of the so-called law on foundations,”
said German CDU MEP Renate Sommer.

Sommer, also vice chair of the EP-Delegation on relations with
Turkey, accused Babcan of ‘threatening’ MEPs by telling them to
abstain from critical questions which may be perceived as ‘insults’
to Turks. “My question on the recognition of Cyprus was completely
ignored. Obviously, Mr Babacan thinks that he only has to negotiate
with 24 Member States about accession.”

Babacan painted as positive a picture of Turkey’s EU application
efforts as possible when speaking to the Parliament’s Foreign Affairs
committee earlier this week: “This long awaited decision to start
negotiations confirmed the desire of both sides to forward our
relationship towards full membership. I emphasize ‘full membership’
as no document signed between Turkey and the EU nor any other EU
decision envisages any other option,” said Babacan.

“We are setting the rules, not Turkey,” said Sommer. “It is the duty
of MEPs to insist on Ankara’s compliance with the Copenhagen
Criteria, of which no single point has yet been met by Turkey
despite the fact that the start of negotiations has already been
foreseen.”

Sommer got support from weighty party colleagues. Elmar Brok, chair
of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Camiel Eurlings, rapporteur on
Turkey, and Antonios Trakatellis, vice-president of the European
Parliament, jointly called on Turkey to ensure religious freedom:
“Religious freedom is not fully ensured in Turkey and the current
draft law on religious foundations falls short of European
standards,” said the three. “We appeal therefore to the Turkish
authorities to amend this draft law in a way that all religious
communities established in Turkey can enjoy similar rights as they do
in EU Member States.”

“We will recommend to the European Council, which is meeting on 18
July, that this issue of religious freedom and equality is given the
appropriate emphasis in the framework of EU-Turkey negotiations which
is due to be adopted,” added Brok, Eurlings and Trakatellis.

Like her CDU/CSU party colleagues back in Germany, Sommer feels
Turkey is not suitable for EU membership: “Without a radical change
in mentality, a full recognition of Cyprus, open discussion of the
Armenian question, an end to the war against the Kurds, equal rights
for women and unrestricted religious freedom, we will continue to
refuse Turkish accession to the EU,” Sommer warned.