TURKEY AND THE EU
headlines of a speech delilvered at a luncheon hosted by the Ambassador of France in Ankara
9 July 2008
I – Turkey’s policy on EU Accession
– Full membership strategic target – Government, Parliament, people
– Other alternatives not negotiable
– Concentrate efforts on 8-9 chapters regarded as priority by the Commission
– National Programme under preparation
– Road Map
– Reform Strategy for judiciary under way
– 20 pieces of legislation in the parliament incl. Trade Law, Trade Unions Law etc.
II – Present status of the Accession negotiations
– Negotiations started on 3 October 2005
– Opening of 8 chapters blocked (Additional Protocol)
5 chapters blocked by France
– Closure of all remaining chapters blocked
– 8 chapters open
- Finnish Presidency: – Science and Research (June 2006) (opened and temp. closed)
- Austrian “ : – Enterprise and Industrial policy (March 2007)
- German “ : – Financial Control (June 2007)
– Statistics ( “ “)
- Portugese “ :- Consumer and Health Protection (December 2007)
– Trans-European Networks ( “ “ )
- Slovenian “ :- Intellectual Property Law (July 2008)
– Company Law ( “ “ )
III – Ratification of Lisbon Treaty, Irish Referendum
IV – French Presidency
- Amendment to art. 88/5 of the French Constitution
- Turkey’s expectations from French ppresidency
- Dissociate presidency and national policy
- Opening of new chapters
- Reconsider the blocking of 5 chapters that lead to accession (other chapters also lead to accession)
V – Other issues
- A Union for the Mediterranean
- Cyprus
- Cautious optimism of the talks between Cypriot leaders
- Additional Pprotocol: – Difference of interpretation
– Plan of Action of Jan. 2006 stil on the table
- ESDP
- Nice Implementation Document of EU calls for consultations with non-EU NATO countries
- Administrative Arrangements between Turkey and European Defence Agency is blocked by one EU country
- Turkey’s readiness to sign a Security Agreement is not reciprocated by EU
- In Kossovo Turkey wishes to see that the established practices of NATO be observed for NATO-EU cooperation
VI– Domestic developments in Turkey
– Chief Public Prosecutor’s action to dissolve the AK Parti
– Arrest of retired generals