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