BRUSSELS - The progress report on Turkey and the recommendatory decision made public by the European Commission today (Wednesday) envisaged three pillars, European Union (EU) sources said.
According to these sources, a strategy consisting of three pillars should be followed. The first pillar concerns ''cooperation to reinforce and support the reform process in Turkey, in particular in relation to the continued fulfillment of the Copenhagen political criteria.'' The second pillar concerns ''the specific way of approaching accession negotiations with Turkey'', while the third entails ''a substantially strengthened political and cultural dialogue bringing people together from EU member states and Turkey''.
According to this strategy, it is stressed that target of negotiations planned to be started between Turkey and the EU is ''full membership'', but the outcome cannot be guaranteed beforehand.
''Turkey has substantially progressed in its political reform process, in particular by means of far reaching constitutional and legislative changes adopted over the last years'', the recommendatory document of the European Commission says.
Pointing out that Turkey was undertaking strong efforts to ensure proper implementation of those reforms, the recommendatory document underlines necessity of ''further consolidating and broadening of legislation and implementation''. It states, ''this applies specifically to the zero tolerance policy in the fight against torture and ill-treatment and the implementation of provisions relating to freedom of expression, freedom of religion, women's rights, ILO standards including trade union rights and minority rights.''
The European Commission, which sheds green light to opening full membership negotiations with Turkey in view that Turkey has sufficiently fulfilled the Copenhagen political criteria, leaves the decision on when the negotiations should be launched to the European Council, comprised of heads of state and government of EU member states.
The Commission says that the EU should monitor progress of political reforms closely in order to guarantee the sustainability and irreversibility of the political reform process. This will be done on the basis of a revised Accession Partnership setting out priorities for the reform process, it also notes.
Stating that the pace of the reforms will determine the progress in negotiations, the Commission notes that it will recommend the suspension of the negotiations in case of a serious and persistent breach of the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and the rule of law on which the Union is founded.
Accession negotiations will take place in the framework of an Intergovernmental Conference where decisions need unanimity and full participation of all EU members, the recommendatory decision says. It also says that in some areas, such as structural policies and agriculture specific arrangements may be needed and, for the free movement of workers, permanent safeguards can be considered.
Furthermore, the Commission will monitor, during the negotiations, the ability of the Union to absorb new members.
Stressing importance of political and cultural dialogue bringing people together from EU Member States and Turkey, the European Commission recalls that civil society should play the most important role in this dialogue.
Also expressing its view that the negotiation process will be essential in guiding further reforms in Turkey, the Commission says Turkey's accession would need to be thoroughly prepared in order to allow for a smooth integration which does not endanger, but enhances, the achievements of fifty years of European integration.
The Commission's detailed Impact Study on ''Issues raised by Turkey's possible membership in the European Union'', concludes that the accession of Turkey would be challenging for both the EU and Turkey. ''If well managed, it would offer important opportunities for both,'' it notes.
This report also states that the necessary preparations for accession would last well into the next decade, adding that The EU will evolve over this period, and Turkey should change even more radically.
(BRC-MS) 06.10.2004