“We place great importance on the synchronization of steps taken particularly in the area of foreign policy,” Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu told reporters ahead of a meeting with Stefan Füle, the EU’s commissioner for enlargement and neighborhood policy, on the sidelines of a summit of Southeast European nations in İstanbul. “The EU is also relaying to us demands for closer coordination with Turkey’s growing foreign policy activities,” he added, noting that the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, Catherine Ashton, will visit Turkey next month for talks.
Turkey has come under criticism in the West for increasingly turning towards East after it voted against sanctions on Iran at the UN Security Council earlier this month. Turkey also threatened to review its ties with US ally Israel after Israeli commandos killed eight Turks and one American on an aid ship bound for Gaza on May 31. Israel says the commandos were defending themselves and accuses Turkey of provocation.
Turkey has been negotiating with the EU since 2005 but the talks have come almost to a standstill amid disputes over Cyprus, a slowdown in Turkish reform efforts and outright opposition to Turkish membership in the EU on religious grounds.
But Füle sought to reaffirm once again that the EU is committed to full Turkish membership, despite proposals from EU heavyweights France and Germany for a privileged partnership instead. He said he had reiterated in his talks with Turkish officials the EU commitment to the Turkish membership process and strengthening Turkish-EU ties. “These ties are strong and are getting stronger every day,” he was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency.
The EU official also underlined that it was important to maintain trust in relations. For the EU, it means respect for commitments made and a commitment to eventual membership instead of new ideas such as privileged partnership, Füle explained. For Turkey to remain a credible partner requires commitment to the reform process, he added. In a speech at the summit, he repeated his calls for new momentum in reforms, saying it is vital as Turkey’s accession process enters a demanding phase.
Füle and Davutoğlu also discussed Ankara’s request for EU visa exemption for Turkish nationals. Davutoğlu said Turkey has done a lot to meet EU demands for visa liberalization and added that he expected major progress before the end of this year.
