Turkey Overcome All Obstacles to EU

Verheugen assured that there would be "no more obstacles", and Erdogan in turn promised that the draft would be adopted without the contentious adultery article.

After meeting with Erdogan yesterday, Verheugen said, "Guarantees that I was given by the Prime Minister will help me make clear-cut recommendations. No more obstacles remain at the table. There is no condition left for Turkey to complete in order for the Commission to make suggestions."

Erdogan on the other side said that the promised schedule would be strictly followed. "There is no more reason not to receive a ‘yes’ from EU," commented the prime minister about the point reached after his Brussels meetings.

Aside from meeting with Verheugen yesterday, Erdogan also met with EU Commission President Romano Prodi. He told Prodi that the final two articles in the TCK draft would be taken up during an emergency meting of the Turkish Parliament on Sunday (September 26). The Turkish prime minister stressed that the adultery issue would no longer come to the agenda during his party’s term.

Also, European Parliament President Joseph Borrell admitted that Erdogan put them at ease yesterday.

EU sources emphasize Erdogan’s promises essentially guarantee that the EU Commission’s October 6th progress report on Turkey will be positive. The final decision about whether to begin membership discussions will rest with the leaders who gather at the December EU summit.

Diplomatic sources confirm that if the EU Commission approves the progress report on October 6th, it will be announced to the public. An absolute majority is all that is required for the report’s approval. In the 30-member commission, only four members are distant to Turkey’s membership process.