EU REPORT TO INCREASE PRESSURE FOR REFORMS

Today’s Zaman
14 October 2008, Tuesday
Turkey

The European Union is set to warn Turkey to speed up its efforts on
reform for eventual membership in the 27-nation bloc, although the
tone of criticism is expected not to be particularly strong.

The annual progress report on Turkey’s reform efforts, due to
be released on Nov. 5, will not harshly criticize the Justice
and Development Party (AK Party) for lack of sufficient reforms,
considering last year’s turbulent presidential elections, a military
memorandum warning of intervention and more recently a closure
case against the party. Earlier this year, the Constitutional Court
narrowly rejected an application by the Supreme Court of Appeals’
chief public prosecutor on the grounds of anti-secular activities.

Despite the understanding that too much pressure on the government
just after so much domestic trouble would not be fair, European
Commission sources make clear that they are unhappy with inaction in
areas of reform over the past two years. In fact, sources say the AK
Party government will see less understanding and sympathy from the
EU and will be subject to more direct calls for reforms after the
Nov. 5 report.

The upcoming report is expected to call for a new constitution as
promised by the government and to express concern that Parliament
has not yet approved new legislation on political parties and the
creation of an ombudsman mechanism.

The European Commission is also expected to highlight the fact that
the AK Party was not closed down at the end of the closure case
against it. The progress report is expected to underline that the
non-closure of the AK Party was a major breakthrough and a step in
the right direction to strengthen Turkish democracy. The report will,
however, highlight concerns over an ongoing closure case against the
pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP). The DTP faces closure on
charges of links with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK),
which is regarded as a terrorist group by Turkey, the US and the EU.

In statements prior to the conclusion of the closure case against the
AK Party, EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn warned that closure
might have affected Turkey’s accession talks with the bloc.

A third point the EU is expected to underline in the progress report is
Turkey’s growing strategic importance in its region. Eager to boost its
clout in regional and global politics, Ankara has launched indirect
talks between Syria and Israel and proposed a regional cooperation
platform for the Caucasus, where Russia and Georgia briefly fought
a war over the breakaway region of South Ossetia. That platform
is also envisaged to include Armenia, with which Turkey has no
formal ties. In a landmark move, President Abdullah Gul traveled to
Yerevan in September to watch a soccer game between national teams
of the two countries. The EU is expected to welcome the progress in
Turkish-Armenian ties.

Rehn said last month that developments in the energy-rich Caucasus
have shown that Turkey’s strategic importance for the EU has grown.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress