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Turkey receives “qualified yes”

Est. 1min

07-10-2004 (updated: 29-01-2010 )

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“The Commission’s reponse is […] a qualified
yes,” Commission President Romano Prodi said on 6 October,
announcing the publication of the EU executive’s long-awaited
recommendation on Turkey’s EU application.

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Positions

The Commission "recommends opening negotiations"
with Turkey on the grounds that it deems "positive" the
country's compliance with the Copenhagen criteria, he said.
According to press reports, the Commission adopted its
decision by consensus rather than unanimity, which means
that the recommendations were not supported by all the
Commission's thirty members.

"A large number of recommendations"
accompany the Commission's positive "but cautious" nod.
Some of these have to do with the way negotiations would be
conducted, while others are specific to the monitoring of
Turkey's progress with its reforms.

Prodi emphasised that the Commission's
approval did not automatically amount to guarantees that
the negotiations would succeed. "There are risks that we
must take on board," Prodi said, "and that we also ask
Turkey to take on board. However, we cannot imagine a
future for Europe in which Turkey is not firmly
anchored".

"Real questions" remain to be resolved,
Prodi said, emphasising that the accession negotiations
would be halted if Turkey were to backslide on its reforms.
Legislation and legal implementation must be further
consolidated and broadened, and the EU will continuously
mornitor progress in these fields. The EU's declared aim is
to ensure the sustainability and irreversibility of the
reform process. This monitoring will be done on the basis
of a revised 'accession partnership' that would set out
priorities for the reform process. As from the end of 2005,
the EU will engage in annual general reviews of Turkey's
progress with its political reforms.

The other key issues that will remain in
the forefront include:

  • human rights and the protection of minorities
  • torture and ill-treatment
  • corruption
  • role of the military
  • freedom of expression and the press
  • freedom of religion
  • gender equality  

According to the Commission, accession
negotiations with Turkey will take place "in the framework
of an Intergovernmental Conference where decisions need
unanimity and full participation of all EU members". The
procedure will be such that "existing legal obligations in
line with the acquis must be fulfilled before the opening
of negotiations on related chapters", and the transition
periods may have to be long. In certain key areas - such as
the free movement of labour - "permanent safeguards can be
considered".

Meanwhile, during the negotiation
process the Commission will monitor the ability of the
Union to absorb new members.

The Commission suggests a "three pillar
strategy" for managing the upcoming negotiations: "First,
strengthened cooperation to reinforce and support the
reform process in Turkey; second, negotiations adapted to
the specific challenges related to Turkey's accession; and
finally, a substantially strengthened political and
cultural dialogue bringing people together from EU Member
States and Turkey".

A separate 'impact study' presented by
the Commission on 6 October states that the prospect of
Turkey's EU membership, "while challenging for the EU and
Turkey, could offer important opportunities for both if it
is well managed". 

Background

It took four decades for Turkey to hear the EU
spell out its affirmative "yes" in response to the
country's bid to open talks on its EU membership. The
historic moment occurred on 6 October, notwithstanding the
fact the Commission's "yes" came with strings
attached.

Timeline

The ultimate decision on when and how accession
negotiations should be launched rests with the EU's
leaders. They will meet for their next summit meeting on 17
December.

Further Reading

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