Western journalists covering Türkiye's EU bid noted last week that membership talks had taken over eight months just to open the science and research chapter, widely considered one of the simplest of the 35 total. At that pace, Financial Times editor Quentin Peel calculated, completing the remaining chapters could take well over 20 years.
Peel also flagged concerns originating within Türkiye itself, citing the government's attempt to place a figure from the interest-free banking sector at the head of the Central Bank as a move that raised serious doubts in European circles.
Guardian editor David Gow noted European puzzlement over chief negotiator Ali Babacan's reluctance to affirm the secular character of Türkiye's education system. Outstanding issues in the education and culture chapter include the closed clerical seminary on Heybeliada and Kurdish-language instruction, alongside persistent restrictions on freedom of thought and academic inquiry.
Babacan held a press conference last week outlining steps the government intends to take toward EU membership. Critics argue that listing planned actions carries less weight than demonstrating concrete achievements already made, a gap widely seen as the ruling Justice and Development Party's central weakness on the accession file.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in June 2006, in its own words.