TURKEY IN EUROPE: BREAKING THE VICIOUS CIRCLE

Newsdesk
Sept 7 2009
Sweden

Presentations from members of the Independent Commission on Turkey:

Martti Ahtisaari, Nobel Peace Laureate; former President of
Finland Emma Bonino, Member of the Italian Senate; former European
Commissioner; former member of the European Parliament Marcelino Oreja
Aguirre, Former Foreign Minister of Spain; former Secretary General
of the Council of Europe; former European Commissioner Albert Rohan,
Former Secretary General of Foreign Affairs, Austria

Since the opening of accession negotiations in October 2005, Turkey’s
relationship with the EU has been far from problem-free. Opposition to
Turkey’s full membership from within the EU and domestic difficulties
in the country itself have created a climate of mutual distrust and
suspicion. This has had an impact on the pace of the negotiation
process and raised many concerns and questions. Is Turkey’s EU
accession process grinding to a halt? Has the open opposition to
Turkish membership by some European leaders caused the slow-down
of Turkey’s reform process in recent years, or was it the Ankara
government’s lack of resolve? Is there a danger of "creeping
Islamisation" in Turkish society? What is the state of play on
Cyprus? What are the chances for solving the Kurdish question and the
differences with Armenia? Can Turkey’s important new geo-political
role in the region be an asset for the European Union?

These and other questions will be answered by members of the
Independent Commission on Turkey. The Independent Commission was
established by prominent European leaders for the purpose of analysing
some of the more pressing aspects of Turkey’s accession to the EU. Its
second report "Turkey in Europe: breaking the vicious circle" will
be made public during the event.

This event is held under the auspices of the Swedish Institute
of International Affairs’ EU Programme and has been organised in
cooperation with the British Council and the Open Society Foundation
(Turkey).