Turkey, EU voice differences on reforms, visa regime

Turkey and the EU began accession negotiations in 2005 but have managed to achieve little progress since then, opening talks on just 13 of 35 chapters so far. But the process has slowed down even more in recent months after the opening of talks on the competition chapter, originally expected to happen last year, was postponed. The EU says the Turkish side has not fulfilled all the technical criteria for the opening of the talks, while the Turkish side says those criteria include very tough concessions on the part of Turkey and that it appears unreasonable for any government to agree to these painful measures while EU membership is still a remote objective.

“The blockage in the EU talks stems from political obstacles, not technical problems,” Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said at a joint news conference with State Minister and chief EU negotiator Egemen Bağış, EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Füle and Hungarian Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi following the 49th meeting of the EU-Turkey Association Council on Tuesday. He said some EU countries lacked the strategic and political will for Turkey’s membership -- apparently referring to French and German objections to Turkish membership on cultural and political grounds -- and added that this was the reason why there has been no progress in the accession talks. “No one can blame Turkey for the fact that not even one chapter has been opened in the past year,” said Davutoğlu.

Bağış said the fact that the Association Council held its 49th gathering “shows deep-rooted relations” but added that “it also clearly shows that Turkey is still kept waiting.”

Füle said he hoped talks on the competition chapter could be opened by the end of June, when the current Hungarian presidency of the EU ends. Both Füle and Martonyi said “substantial progress” is needed in freedom of the press -- with Füle expressing concern over the recent detentions of journalists as part of the Ergenekon case -- as well as normalization of relations with EU member Greek Cyprus. Füle also repeated EU concerns over a decision of the Turkey’s election board to bar some Kurdish deputies from running in the upcoming June 12 elections and called on Turkey to allow a fair and open election campaign and take measures to ensure maximum participation.

Füle and Martonyi, meanwhile, welcomed the passage last year of a set of constitutional amendments, saying it was “a step in the right direction.”

Turkish ministers also complained at the news conference of the EU’s failure to begin talks on eliminating visa requirements for Turkish nationals despite the fact that Turkey has fulfilled EU conditions to begin such talks. Davutoğlu said the EU’s visa policy towards Turkish nationals was “not fair,” and Bağış said “this unjust and illogical implementation should come to an end.” Bağış said even the wife of Turkish football player Mehmet Topal, who now plays for the Spanish team Valencia, has been refused a visa. “The time when Turkish people feel least European is when they wait in line for a visa,” said Bağış.

Füle said he “partly understands” the disappointment in Turkey about the EU’s visa policy and added that there was a “frank discussion” about the issue at the meeting. Turkey’s demands for a visa-free regime are unlikely to be met as France and Germany are opposed to easing visa restrictions for Turks.

No tension

Despite disagreements, Davutoğlu on Wednesday denied news reports that the meeting took place in a “tense atmosphere.”

“Our views were shared in a friendly manner, and there was no tension,” Davutoğlu said at a press conference with his Romanian counterpart, Teodor Baconschi, in Ankara. “But it is obvious that there is serious incoherence between the Turkish and EU positions, and I made that very clear yesterday,” he added.

Baconschi expressed support for Turkey’s EU membership, saying it will strengthen the EU’s global standing, and said Romania was ready to offer its “positive support” for an agreement on the visa issue.

Davutoğlu and Baconschi also discussed bilateral ties. Davutoğlu said efforts to strengthen Turkish-Romanian cooperation will intensify, particularly in the fields of energy and transportation, while Baconschi called for Turkish investments in Romania in the areas of infrastructure and energy.