TURKEY TO OPEN MORE DIFFICULT CHAPTERS IN ITS EU PROCESS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
04.06.2009

/PanARMENIA N.Net/ "We have opened nearly all the easy chapters in EU
process. Now, the remaining chapters require important benchmarks
that could cause trouble at home and in Europe," Egemen Baðýþ,
Turkey’s state minister and chief negotiator in EU process, said.

To open the chapter on social policies, the law on trade unions must
be adopted, the Turkish official said, adding that the same goes for
the chapter on the environment and the laws and regulations on waste
treatment. "We are planning to open the chapter on the environment
during the Swedish presidency," Bagis noted.

The negotiations between Turkey and the EU started in 2005, but so
far, only 10 chapters out of 35 have been opened, mostly because
of the Cyprus problem and France’s opposition to Turkey’s full
membership. Eight chapters were suspended because Turkey rejects to
open its ports and airports to Cyprus.

"For us, our reform process is much more important than the number
of opened chapters. If we focus too much on the chapters, then we’ll
let Brussels get behind the wheel, but if we are concentrated on
reforms, then the control will be in Parliament," Hurriyet quotes
Bagis as saying.