AFTER THE EUPHORIA, TURKEY PREPARES FOR THE HARD SLOG
By Anthony Browne, Brussels Correspondent

The Times, UK
Oct 5 2005

TURKEY promised a “great struggle” to turn itself into a modern
economically developed democracy, as officials in Brussels started
work yesterday on EU entry negotiations.

After the euphoria of agreeing to start talks early yesterday, EU
leaders spoke of the difficulties of bringing the vast, semi-developed
Muslim nation, which is almost entirely in Asia, up to EU standards.

President Chirac of France said that Turkey would need a “major
cultural revolution” and may never be ready to join.

Over the next ten or fifteen years Turkey will have to implement 83,000
pages of EU legislation. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish Prime
Minister, said: “There will be a great struggle to fully implement
the harmonisation laws. Our ideal is a Turkey that will take its
place among democratic, free and developed countries.”

Turkey must also resolve the conflict over its illegal occupation
of Cyprus, starting by recognising its Government and opening up its
ports and airports to Cypriot traffic.

Angela Merkel, who is likely to be the next Chancellor of Germany,
and Nicolas Sarkozy, who aspires to be the next President of France,
oppose Turkish membership and could derail talks once in power.

France and Austria, whose voters oppose Turkish membership, have
promised referendums on the issue.

The membership talks were formally opened at a ceremony in the small
hours yesterday when Abdullah Gul, the Turkish Foreign Secretary,
and Jack Straw, his British counterpart, read opening statements.

A few hours later, European Commission officials started the
painstaking “screening” process, assessing Turkey’s harmonisation
with EU law under 35 chapter headings, covering everything from human
rights to environmental protection. This screening process will be
followed next spring by negotiations on each of the 35 chapters.

Each EU country has a veto on the closing of each chapter, which
will give hostile countries such as Austria and Cyprus plenty of
opportunities to trip Turkey up.

Austria is also insisting that Turkey, which would be the biggest
member by the time it joins, cannot be admitted until the EU is ready
to absorb it.

There is concern that although Ankara passed a modern penal code last
year Turkish judges are continuing to breach human rights.

European politicians have also been alarmed by human rights abuses,
such as the prosecution of a Turkish writer for acknowledging that
his country had committed genocide against Armenians, the continued
persecution of religious minorities, a recent order to close down
the country’s only gay rights group, and the killing of children in
mental hospitals.

THE CHALLENGES

Adopt and implement 83,000 pages of EU legislation

Resolve dispute over Turkey’s occupation of Cyprus, including
recognising Cypriot Government

Renegotiate Nice Treaty to change voting weights in the EU

Probable next leaders of France and Germany oppose Turkey’s membership

Any present EU member can veto any of 35 different “chapters” of
negotiations over the next ten years

Referendums in France and Austria, with voters of both highly hostile

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