Babacan: Turkey screening progressing as planned

The chapter-by-chapter screening of Turkey’s laws and regulations against the EU acquis is “proceeding like clockwork” and should be completed by October 2006, said chief negotiator Babacan. 

The so-called screening process, which is part of Turkey’s accession negotiations with the EU, is “proceeding like clockwork,” said Ankara’s chief EU negotiator Ali Babacan in an interview with the Anatolia  news agency. In Babacan’s assessment, the screening process that covers each of the 35 chapters into which the EU’s regulations are divided, is set to be completed within 12 months, ie by 13 October 2006. 

Meanwhile, the vice president of the European Investment Bank, Wolfgang Roth, was quoted by Anatolia as saying that Turkey looks set to join the EU as a member by 2015. In Roth’s opinion, “in the upcoming years Turkey will become one of the key countries for the European Investment Bank.” He added that, “Turkey’s membership in the European Union will also strengthen the Union [on] religious and cultural aspects.”

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