EU Screening on Turkey, Delayed

Rehn said that the screening would take a year and all chapters will be taken up during it. Rehn explained the reason of the delay in beginning the screening process -which Turkey expected earlier_ with political reasons. The EU Commission had called on EU to begin this process in the New Year of 2004. But France had demanded the process to begin after the negotiations, to avoid its impact on the referendum on the EU constitution.

In his address at the foreign affairs commission of EP, Rehn demanded from Turkey to sign without delay, the Ankara agreement so as to include Greek Cypriot in it .

October 2006 will then be the beginning date of the negotiations of Turkey with EU. The move of the Commission is based on the persistence of France to prolong beginning of talks with Turkey.