EU: TURKEY’S REGIONAL IMPORTANCE GREW

PanARMENIAN.Net
29.10.2008 18:01 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey’s importance to the EU has increased in the
areas of energy, and regional security and conflict prevention in the
Caucasus, says the EU annual progress report on Turkey to be released
on November 5.

The EU reforms, it says, makes Turkey "a stronger force for stability"
in the volatile region, which witnessed a Russian-Georgian war over
the breakaway region of South Ossetia in August.

It said Turkey played a "constructive role" in the Caucasus and the
Middle East by proposing a Caucasus cooperation platform after the
August crisis; by mediating peace talks between Israel and Syria;
and by starting dialogue with Armenia with President Gul’s visit
in September.

The report noted changes to the Article 301 of the Turkish Penal
Code (TCK), which the EU said restricts freedom of expression, but
complained that the wording still remains largely the same and that
the revised form, which requires prior authorization from the justice
minister to open cases on the basis of Article 301, raises concerns
that the article will be subject to political considerations.

On the government, however, the report’s tone was tougher, complaining
that, although it expressed commitment to the reforms, it has not put
forward "a consistent and comprehensive program of reforms" to bring
Turkey closer to the EU, Today’s Zaman reports.