17 October 2009 / ,
The European Union lauded Turkey for its foreign policy developments but urged Ankara to protect press freedom in a generally upbeat progress report on the country's EU membership talks.
Every year, Brussels issues a report on how Turkey is doing in its bid to join the 27-member EU. The latest progress report, issued Wednesday, praises Turkey for its recent foreign policies: It lauds a recent deal with Armenia to re-establish diplomatic ties and reopen the border between the two countries; commends Ankara for its efforts to reach out to its Kurdish minority and the Kurdish authorities in northern Iraq; and commends Ankara's role in the Middle East peace process. But it also urges Turkey to normalize its relations with EU-member Cyprus, to improve minority and women's rights and to guarantee freedom of the press. The latter is threatened by a move made by Turkish tax authorities, the EU feels.
