EU: democratic reforms key to Turkey's stability

07/05/2008

The EU is urging Turkey to speed up its reform process and build a new political dialogue based on compromise.

By Ayhan Simsek for Southeast European Times -- 07/05/08

"All the problems should be resolved through domestic democratic processes. It is the only way for Turkey to move forward," EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said. [Getty Images]

Turkey's accession bid hinges on its domestic policy and reforms, EU officials said on Tuesday (May 6th), during a meeting in Ankara. "The court case to close down the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) should be resolved in line with the principles of democracy and rule of law, that is important," EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said.

Participants included the EU troika -- which is comprised of the current Union president Slovenia, next term president France and the European Commission -- EU officials and Turkish leaders.

The key meeting took place at a critical moment for Turkey's domestic policy, with the Islamist rooted ruling AKP party facing a case against it for allegedly undermining the country's secular order.

The AKP had cooled towards the EU since its election victory last July. But with the closure case, the AKP government once again turned towards Europe, and last month it introduced a long-awaited amendment to a controversial law penalising "insults to Turkishness". Rehn welcomed the reform in Article 301 of the penal code, as well as new legislation improving property rights for non-Muslim communities. Once again, however, he emphasised the need for implementing changes on the ground.

One of the main topics of the meeting was the police's use of excessive force against a May Day rally in central Istanbul. Police fired water cannons and teargas last week, detaining more than 500 people. Since 1980, trade union rallies have been banned from the square, which was the site of a bloody clash with police in 1977.

"We in the commission deplore this disproportionate use of force on the first of May, last week," Rehn said, adding the EU expects an investigation.

Rehn also urged Turkey to further reform its judiciary sector to ensure its independence. He emphasised the need to create an ombudsman's office, which he said could help reduce tension in the ongoing debate over secularism.

Current EU president Slovenia conveyed the Union's readiness to open two more chapters in Turkey's accession talks. These chapters will be on Intellectual Property Law and Company Law, according to Turkish sources.

Turkey started EU accession talks in 2005, but in the last three years, only six out of the 35 necessary chapters have been opened. The decades-old Cyprus issue and objections by French President Nicolas Sarkozy have forced the suspension of eight major chapter openings.

But France's Secretary of State for European Affairs Jean-Pierre Jouyet said on Tuesday that his country would not sabotage Turkey's membership talks when it assumed the EU presidency in July. "There is no need to worry. France has no intention of breaking up Turkey's ongoing negotiation process ... The French presidency will be impartial, fair and objective," Jouyet said.

He added, however, that Turkey should continue reforms primarily for its own interest, rather than for EU membership.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said "maintaining Turkey's perspective of full EU membership is a sine qua non", and his government was determined to pursue the needed reforms.