BY ISMET BERKAN
RADIKAL- Turkey applied to join the European Union in 1987. Two years later, the European Commission rejected its application, but stressed that Turkey was ‘competent’ for candidate status.
In 1993, the Copenhagen criteria laid down the future course of the EU’s enlargement process. EU leaders then underlined that any country which manages to fulfill these criteria would be eligible to join the Union’s ranks.
In 1995, a decision was made to complete the final phase of the Customs Union with Turkey, whose objectives were originally laid down by the 1963 Ankara Agreement.
In 1997, EU leaders reiterated that Turkey was getting closer to the doors of the Union.
Next year the EU asked the European Commission to prepare a progress report on Turkey, though the country was not yet an official candidate. Therefore, the EU started monitoring Turkey with a view to the Copenhagen criteria.
In its 1999 Regular Report on Turkey's progress towards accession, the European Commission recognized the country’s status as a candidate country.
The Commission's 2000 Regular Report re-confirmed Turkey’s candidate status, stating that the debate on the political reforms needed for the country's accession to the European Union had already begun.
This October, the EU Commission declared that Turkey had passed the critical threshold in fulfilling the Copenhagen criteria and recommended that the country’s membership negotiations should begin.
There’ a reason why I’m recounting this history: Due to a host of recent contradictory media reports, right now many of you may be quite confused about the course of Turkey’s EU membership bid.
From the above perspective, European leaders have no choice but to open Turkey’s membership negotiations. Saying ‘no’ to Turkey now would damage Europe’s credibility.
But why all this recent nonsense? What’s the point of these successive drafts, each being worse than the last?
In fact they constitute a prelude to the real process. The three top issues will be addressed by the EU leaders themselves on Dec. 16: Opening negotiations, the date for this, and then the famous ‘open-ended talks’ business.
I suppose our talks will begin next October. What Ankara must do now is ensure that, no matter whether ‘open-ended’ or not, the ultimate goal of the talks must be full membership.