Turkish accession to EU to be speeded up

EU Minister and Turkey’s Chief EU Negotiator Egemen Bagis and the European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stafan Fule met in Ankara and had a joint press conference regarding the new EU/Turkey “Positive Agenda” initiative.

The “Positive Agenda” plan has been started by Turkish and EU authorities hoping to restart the stalled Turkey EU Accession negotiations. Though informal talks the “Positive Agenda” aim to discuss Turkey’s progress toward meeting EU criteria for EU membership.

Fule stated that the Turkish and EU plan is to keep the accession process alive and put it properly back on track after a period of stagnation. This stagnation, Fule pointed out, has been a source of frustration for both the Turks and the European Union. Fule emphasized that the “Positive Agenda” talks were not to replace formal talks between Turkey and the EU but to compliment and support the accession process of Turkey.

Bagis said that since Turkey had begun the process of admission to the EU some EU members had made remarks and blocked Turkey’s candidacy into the EU. Bagis said that unfortunately because of some EU members actions Turkey has come to a place it did not deserve, i.e. not even able to begin the membership process.

Bagis however was very hopeful about the new informal “Positive Agenda” meetings starting on Thursday. Bagis stated that the new “Positive Agenda” meetings could restart and speed up the membership progress. He imagined that perhaps Thursday – May 17th, 2012 – would be remembered as a milestone which began the full membership of Turkey into the EU.

The Enlargement Strategy Paper published last October by the EU Commission brought forth an idea of making a ”Positive Agenda” in Turkish-EU relations.

The EU Commission listed a wide range of areas as the main elements of this agenda. These areas include: increased dialogue; cooperation in political changes; visa mobility and migration; energy; the fight against terror, more Turkish participation in Community programs; sister cities; trade and customs unification. <Cihan>

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