Posted in European Union, Government of Turkey, Turkish Press on Jun 9th, 2011
Turkey’s EU bid has been largely absent from the campaign ahead of Sunday’s general elections, mirroring a dwindling Turkish confidence in the bloc as membership talks linger at a standstill. A recent survey by the research institute TESEV showed that 69 percent of Turks support their country’s endeavour to join the European Union, but only [...]
Posted in European Union, Turkish Press on May 11th, 2011
The European Union must liberalize its visa regime with Turkey before the country’s accession to the bloc, because Turkey’s membership will take a long time to achieve, a former top EU diplomat has said. “I don’t know [whether visa liberalization will occur before or after membership], but since the accession process will be long, I [...]
Posted in EU Visa Policy, European Union, Government of Turkey, Turkish Press on May 3rd, 2011
Turkish President Abdullah Gul said Monday that EU’s reluctance to start visa talks with Turkey discredits EU, not Turkey. “EU starts talks even with Russia and Ukraine [to remove visa restrictions] but not with Turkey. It discredits EU, not Turkey,” Gul told a press conference with his Austrian counterpart Heinz Fisher in Vienna. Gul embarked [...]
Posted in European Union, Turkish Press on May 1st, 2011
The Turkish people might say “no” to European Union membership, just as the Norwegian public did, President Abdullah Gül told Austrian media ahead of his scheduled visit Monday to the European country. The president discussed Turkey’s EU membership bid, Turkish foreign policy, domestic political developments and the vision for the country in an interview with [...]
Posted in European Union, Turkish Press on Mar 10th, 2011
European lawmakers on Wednesday criticised Turkey’s “slow progress” in making reforms needed to pursue its bid to join the European Union, saying it was not “a true pluralist democracy.” The European Parliament adopted a resolution stating what was needed was “comprehensive constitutional reform which would transform Turkey into a true pluralist democracy founded on protecting [...]
Posted in Domestic Politics, European Union, Turkish Press on Feb 26th, 2011
French President Nicolas Sarkozy told Turkey on Friday it is unfit for EU membership, urging an alternative partnership for the mainly Muslim nation before its struggling accession talks hit a “deadlock.” Sarkozy, a vocal opponent of Turkey’s EU bid, delivered the blunt message after talks with Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul during a brief visit to [...]
Posted in European Union, Turkish Press on Feb 9th, 2011
The Association of the Turkish Building Material Producers, or İMSAD, has been awarded funds from the European Commission to develop and promote financing models for energy efficiency in buildings in six European countries, according to the İMSAD chairman. Turkey as the chairing country of the “EU-Build Project” will collaborate with Albania, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, [...]
Posted in European Union, Turkish Press on Feb 1st, 2011
A fair negotiation process tops the list of five Turkish demands for the establishment of healthy relations between the European Union and EU-aspirant Turkey, according to a senior government figure. “Turkey wants a just negotiation process; it wants an end to this nonsensical mentality on the visa issue; it wants concrete cooperation against terrorism; it [...]
Posted in European Union, Turkish Press on Feb 1st, 2011
European Commissioner for Enlargement & Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule’s spokesperson has said that the EU was not forcing Turkey to make a choice between the EU membership and Cyprus.Spokesperson Natasha Butler told A.A on Tuesday that continuation of membership negotiations between Turkey and the EU had a strategic importance both for Turkey and the EU, [...]
Posted in European Union, Turkish Press on Dec 31st, 2010
Turkish State Minister & Chief Negotiator for EU talks Egemen Bagis has denied news that claimed Turkey and EU had reached consensus on opening of Turkey’s ports to Greek Cypriot vessels. Upon questions of A.A, Bagis replied on Twitter on Friday, and said that the news about such a consensus between Turkey and the EU [...]