Europe Intensifies Focus on Turkey’s Membership Bid

While Turkey anxiously waits for the EU’s decision on December 17th, Europe is focused on what the decision will be. The EU is looking at the issue under a microscope using three different lenses. A General Affairs Council consisting of member states’ foreign ministers has tried to form an answer for Turkey. The EP General Council is discussing a report and recommendation on Turkey prepared by raporteur Camiel Eurlings, a Dutch parliamentarian. Balkenende met with Schroder in Berlin yesterday where the two men discussed the Turkey decision.

The European Union (EU) wants Turkey to assure them it will sign a unification protocol with the Greek Cypriots. A high-level EU official said, "This does not mean recognition. This is a small step, but if this promise is not made, it could pave the way to big trouble." According to reports, EU leaders will finalize their decision on Turkey at a dinner on Thursday night (December 16). Balkenende will later convey the decision to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Schroder issued a statement after his meeting with Balkenende in which he said, "Turkey will be given a date; however, negotiations will take a long time and be open-ended." The German Chancellor also addressed the comments of German Christian Social Union Party leader, Stoiber, who has vowed to block Turkey’s membership if elected. Schroder described Stoiber as crossing the line most of the time.

Balkenende said they are working on a document that will be "acceptable" to everyone and added, "As such, we want three points to be accepted. The aim of the negotiations will be full membership. Turkey will be given a negotiation date and the negotiations will be open-ended."

Balkenende later traveled to Paris where French President Jacques Chirac shared the French public’s concerns about Turkey. After the meeting, the Dutch Prime Minister said: "The goal is membership, but we have to consider the possibility that negotiations may not end with a ‘yes’ answer…We’ll find a solution to this," he added optimistically.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his Italian counterpart Silvio Berlusconi are also lined up to meet with Schroder to discuss Turkey’s membership bid. Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot issued a statement at the General Affairs Council meeting where the summit draft is being discussed in which he said he thinks a consensus will be reached to initiate negotiations. When asked to elaborate, Bot said that 25 EU member countries will reach an agreement and convey the decision to Ankara. Ankara will then have two options to respond with a yes or a no.

With regard to Cyprus, the Dutch Minister said Turkey’s signing of the Ankara Protocol is important and will mean recognition of the Greek Cypriot side. He added that the Annan plan is still on the table and that they will be meeting with the relevant parties. Foreign Minister Georges Yakovou of the Greek Cypriot administration also released a statement in Brussels announcing that they will not exercise their veto power on Turkey’s membership bid.

Meanwhile, an EU official said that the issues surrounding the Turkey decision have been considerably clarified and that the possibility of beginning negotiations in the second half of 2005 is finding more support. The goal is full membership and the suggestion of a "privileged partnership" is no longer being supported, he added.