Rehn: No ‘Plan B’ for Turkey

The Commission has no ‘Plan B’ for Turkey, Enlargement
Commissioner Olli Rehn has confirmed in a press interview. At stake
in the prospective negotiations is full membership.

“There is no Plan B” for Turkey, Enlargement Commissioner Olli
Rehn has confirmed in a press interview. “If membership
negotiations begin, then the clear aim is membership if the
conditions for it are met,” Rehn told the German
daily Berliner Zeitung. In his comment,
Rehn made it clear that since the EU has officially recognised
Turkey’s quest for membership since 1963, and accepted its
candidacy in 1999, it had no choice but to honour its related
commitments.

“That means we have the responsibility to accept the country as
a member if it fulfils the criteria”, Rehn said. “It will be a
long and difficult process and no one can guarantee that it will be
successful.”

In Rehn’s opinion, Turkey’s EU membership would represent a
“major success”. “If Turkey could combine European values with
Islam […] it would be a positive example for the rest of the
Muslim world”.

Meanwhile, in an interview with the Dutch paper de
Volkskrant, Frits Bolkestein, the former commissioner for the
single market, expressed his doubts that “if a secret vote was
held”, Turkey’s bid would enjoy the required support in either the
Commission or the Council. Bolkestein, himself a known critic of
Turkey’s EU accession, said that the “institutional conviction”
that Ankara must form part of the Union dates back to former
Enlargement Commissioner Gunter Verheugen’s decision which
has “put us on the wrong foot”.

Following a visit to Ankara, MEP Camiel Eurlings (EPP-ED,
Netherlands) said that in his view Turkey remains too inflexible
towards the EU and thus additional demands should be imposed on the
country prior to the launch of official accession
negotiations. On 14 December, the European Parliament will
vote in plenary session on Eurlings’ report, which was adopted
by the Foreign Affairs Committee on 30 November.

In a related development, Turkey’s parliament has passed a new
criminal procedure bill which falls into line with the EU’s
requirements. The new law will enter into force in April 2005.

Read more with Euractiv

MEPs turn down 'partnership' option for Turkey

In a Foreign Affairs Committee vote, MEPs have rejected the "third way" (partnership) option for Turkey. However, their report also stated that Ankara's negotiations will not "automatically" lead to accession.