Thursday 28th of March 2024, 09:32 CET
Turkey disappointed about EU delay
December 14, 2002
Associated Press

Written by Selcan Hacaoglu
Posted by HW on March 28, 2024

Ahead
Turkey pledged Saturday to press ahead with human rights and economic reforms after the European Union moved a small step closer to giving the nation a desperately sought-after spot in the EU.

Painful
Although the EU offer was short of what Turkey wanted — an early and definite date for membership talks — Turkish leaders say the decision will spur them on to take the painful reforms that are needed to transform the country and meet EU standards.

The wording of the EU's offer appeased Turkish anger, which erupted after the summit stopped short of Turkey's request for entry talks in 2003.

"Definite step"
"Turkey has taken a very definite step in the road to the EU," Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said Saturday. "We will maintain economic and democratic reforms with great determination. As we make progress, I hope the negotiation date will come forward."

Roadmap
Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan was satisfied to see for the first time a firm timetable ahead of Turkey to become a full member.

"The roadmap has emerged in favor of Turkey," Erdogan said Saturday. "The EU-Turkey relations have become clearer and gotten on the right track. The decision has carried Turkey-EU relations into a totally new dimension."

"Historical milestone"
Turkish newspapers hailed the decision as an historical milestone that opened Turkey's road for full membership.

"We're Europeans in 2010," said a front-page headline in the daily Sabah.

"The EU road has opened," announced Yeni Safak newspaper.

Several other newspapers, including the daily Hurriyet and Vakit, called on the government to maintain EU reforms without deviating from the target.

EU legislation
The administration, which controls the first majority government in 15 years, is in a better position than its predecessors to implement tough reforms to join the bloc.

Parliament has taken huge steps this year, abolishing the death penalty and granting the right to teach and broadcast in Kurdish to its 12 million Kurds.

The EU says Turkey must still grant greater rights to the Kurds and Turkey still has significant progress to make in fighting torture, which is reportedly common in Turkish prisons, stop abuse of power by police force and extrajudicial killings.

The government earlier this week failed to pass anti-torture legislation — an EU demand — ahead of the summit. Some legislators said the administration was waiting for Europe to act first.

Turkey is also required to expand freedom of expression and freedom to press, while improving its battered economy and cutting back chronic inflation to single digit for economic stability. Promoting birth control, expanding health care and education are other priorities.

Cyprus
The country is also pressed hard to agree to a United Nations plan to reunify the divided island of Cyprus, which has been split into a Greek Cypriot south and a Turkish Cypriot north since Turkey invaded in 1974 after an abortive coup by supporters of union with Greece.

Military
There's also the messy issue of the military, which wields political influence over civilian leaders through a military dominated advisory body.

The Turkish military, regarding itself as the guarantor of secular regime, has led three coups and it forced a pro-Islamic government out of power in 1997. Now the EU says the government, founded by a party with Islamic roots, must impose greater civilian control over the generals.

US opinion
The United States, which strongly backs Turkey's membership bid and had asked EU leaders to set a negotiation date for its close ally, expressed satisfaction.

"Turkey's continued evolution toward Europe and its eventual membership in the European Union demonstrates for the continent and the entire world that Islam and democracy are fully compatible," White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said in a written statement on Friday.
 
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