BY ZEYNEP GURCANLI
STAR- The European Union is to decide on Dec. 17 whether to open Turkey’s membership talks. We were hoping that our talks could begin in the first half of 2005. However, now Brussels is pressing for the implementation of certain legislative reforms, including an overhaul of our penal code. Therefore, we should steel ourselves for a disappointment. At the last meeting of the EU Troika and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul in The Hague, EU Term President the Netherlands’ Foreign Minister Bernard Bot stated that Turkey would first have to pass ‘six currently suspended laws’ in order to fulfill the Copenhagen criteria, the key to starting our membership negotiations. Among these laws, the most important is our antiquated penal code, which needs to be modified in line with EU norms. In addition, new EU Commissioner for Enlargement Rehn said that a process of scanning our laws must be completed before beginning the membership talks, which means that Turkey’s legislation must be compared with the EU’s. The EU Commission is looking at a process which will last for at least six months. Ankara will firmly reject any formula proposing something other than full membership. If ‘privileged partnership’ or the like is offered, Turkey will then re-evaluate its relations with the EU, a process which could produce a chill. However, for the time being, the government is electing to stay silent on the issue, as our leaders don’t want Europeans to think that they’re trying to bully the EU. Moreover, Ankara doesn’t favor starting its membership talks as late as 2006. However, if this is what’s offered, we might accept it. Ankara wants an impressive ceremony held where EU leaders and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stand together to send the world a message that Turkey is making good progress on its path towards full membership. This ceremony will also mark the beginning of the scanning process. In brief, at this point it’s near illusory to think that our membership negotiations will begin next year. The most optimistic prediction is the closing months of 2005. The realistic prediction set by the EU is the first half of 2006. So get ready for 2006…