MILLIYET- Columnist Derya Sazak comments on the recent statements by certain EU officials arguing that Turkey should not expect the EU to determine a specific date for the beginning of its accession negotiation period at December’s Copenhagen Summit. A summary of his column is as follows:
Turkey, which recently took vital steps such as abolishing the death penalty, broadcasting in languages other than Turkish and cultural rights to fulfill the Copenhagen criteria, is unfortunately disappointed by the European Union again.
German Prime Minister Schroder last week alluded at a banquet with Turkish businessmen that it would be unrealistic to expect the EU to determine a specific date for the beginning of Turkey’s accession negotiation process at December’s Copenhagen Summit. In addition, EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenther Verheugen also made similar remarks considering Turkey’s EU accession bid. “Turkey’s recent reforms are extremely important for its EU accession bid,” said Verheugen. “However, the Turkish government shouldn’t expect the EU to determine a specific date for the beginning of its accession negotiation period at December’s Copenhagen summit. The EU wants to see that Turkey begins implementing these reforms as soon as possible. I don’t think that the Turkish government will be able to put these reforms into practice before December.”
These statements have not only disappointed Ankara but also reinforced the claims of certain circles arguing that the EU would never accept Turkey no matter how hard the Turkish government tries.
While certain political parties are planning to sit at the negotiation table with the EU in the post-election period, some other parties opposing the early polls will likely to play their trump card by arguing that postponing the elections will help Turkey’s accession period since other reforms demanded by the EU might be made if the elections are held in April 2003.
I’m not sure whether these negative signals will provide those parties, which are in favor of delaying the early elections, with an opportunity to develop new policies. It’s clear that Brussels is always looking for new pretexts to keep Turkey away from the EU league. However, despite this disappointment, Turkey wants to improve its democracy for its own future.
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION