Türkiye-EU Accession Talks Expected in Early 2006, Not October

Membership negotiations between Türkiye and the European Union are set to open in early 2006, not on 3 October 2005 as announced following the EU summit in Brussels, according to a Turkish official speaking Monday.

The delay is technical. Before formal talks can begin, the EU runs a screening exercise in which a candidate country's national legislation is benchmarked against the bloc's own legal framework. That process is not expected to be completed by October 2005.

The official, who requested anonymity, said Türkiye is well prepared for the screening and expects it to conclude quickly. The European Commission in Brussels was not available for comment Monday.

Completed screening findings serve as the foundation on which formal negotiating chapters between the EU and a candidate state are structured.

Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in December 2004, in its own words.