Are We Ready?

BY SAMI KOHEN
MILLIYET- Columnist Sami Kohen writes on Turkey’s EU membership bid. A summary of his column is as follows:
Businessman Sarik Tara recently organized a meeting on Turkish-European Union relations and invited prominent diplomats, businessmen, scholars and writers to attend. Turkey’s Secretary-General for EU Affairs Murat Sungar and Assistant Ambassador Ahmet Acet both delivered speeches at the gathering. As a matter of fact, Tara has previously held similar meetings to move Turkey’s EU accession bid forward. Why he felt it necessary to hold another such meeting right now is all too obvious. Since the Iraq war has dominated our country’s agenda in recent months, Turkey’s relations with the EU have seemingly been relegated to the back burner. Ankara apparently lost enthusiasm concerning its relations with Brussels. However, if we’re truly determined to join the Union, our politicians will have to strive mightily in the months to come. All political and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) should step up to play their parts so as to help this country fulfill the EU’s political and economic criteria.
As a matter of fact, recent statements by EU officials have left me encouraged. First of all, earlier this month EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen said that Turkey’s membership negotiations might begin in mid-2005. However, in order to achieve this goal, the Turkish Parliament should pass political reform packages at once and also take immediate steps to push progress on the Cyprus issue.
According to Sungar and Acet’s speeches at the above meeting, Turkey’s Secretariat General for EU Affairs has already drawn up a number of significant plans to accelerate our country’s accession bid. The Justice Minister has just received the sixth reform package, a series of proposals designed to bring about radical changes to Turkey’s laws in line with the EU’s Copenhagen criteria. This package is expected to be presented to the Parliament in the near future.
The Secretariat General is currently working on our National Program. If the government manages to complete it by the end of June, the EU’s upcoming progress report will probably show appreciation for Turkey’s efforts, which will in turn boost our standing within EU circles.
As Economic Development Foundation (IKV) former Chairman Meral Gezgin Eris stated at the meeting, Ankara should accelerate its efforts with the understanding that 2004 is a firm deadline. People often ask whether the EU is ready to accept Turkey. However, the question cuts both ways: Is Ankara ready to do whatever is necessary to fulfill its commitments?

SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION