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A new chapter in Turkey's EU bid?

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  • A new chapter in Turkey's EU bid?

    Deutsche Welle, Germany
    February 23, 2013 Sunday 7:08 AM EST

    A new chapter in Turkey's EU bid?


    German Chancellor Angela Merkel is scheduled to start a two-day visit
    to Turkey on Sunday. Topping the agenda are talks with Turkish Premier
    Erdogan on economic relations and the sluggish pace of EU membership
    talks. Turkeywas once called the "sick man of Europe." But that was a
    long time ago. In light of the recent economic success, and growing
    international and diplomatic importance of the country, the apparently
    self-confident Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to
    hold talks on Monday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Ankara.


    Turkey's new position appears to add weight to European Union Energy
    Commissioner Günther Oettinger's prediction that Germany and France
    would beg Turkey to join the EU within the next decade.

    In this context, German Foreign Affairs Committee head Ruprecht Polenz
    has called for opening new chapters in EU membership negotiations with
    Turkey despite the country's blockade of Cyprus, in order to "allow
    both sides to have a systematic discussion."

    The Cyprus dispute

    So far, Turkey has staunchly refused to expand access to a customs
    union to the 10 latest EU members - including the Republic of Cyprus,
    which Turkey has yet to recognize. The expansion would allow Cypriot
    ships and planes to approach Turkish ports unchecked - a step the
    government in Ankara is still not ready to take.

    The Turks appeared to be irritated by the slow pace of negotiations,
    such as the fact that during 2005 EU membership talks, only 13 of the
    35 negotiation chapters were open, and that only the chapter on
    science and research had been closed.

    However, two major factors have led to the recent strengthening of
    Turkish self-confidence. First, its location at the intersection of
    Europe, the Middle East and Asia has caused the country's geostrategic
    importance to grow. Second, Turkey's economy has been expanding at
    rates EU countries can only dream of.

    'Privileged partnership'

    Despite last year's GDP growth of less than 4 percent, following
    expansion rates of 9.2 percent in 2010 and 8.5 percent in 2011, the
    euro zone debt crisis and the conflict in Syria seems not to have
    caused permanent damage to the Turkish economy.

    Chancellor Merkel is unlikely to move away from her position of
    favoring a "privileged partnership" between Turkey and the EU instead
    of granting full membership. However, both Turkish and German
    diplomats are speaking of possible "positive signals," after French
    President Francois Hollande proposed opening a further negotiation
    chapter on regional policy.
    Conflicting issues

    Although EU membership proceedings are important for the Turkish
    government, more pressing matters involve settling differing policies
    on dual citizenship and visa requirements for Turkish citizens. This
    is why Merkel's statements on these two subjects are so eagerly
    anticipated.

    During his visit to Turkey two weeks ago, German Interior Minister
    Hans-Peter Friedrich stated that Turkish citizens would not be
    exempted from visa requirements when traveling to Germany. The same
    goes for granting dual citizenship to Turks living in Germany, which
    is not common practice.

    During a visit to Berlin last October, Erdogan surprised his fellow
    countrymen by urging them to make efforts to further integrate into
    Germany society, and to internalize German culture by reading the
    works of Goethe and Kant. However, on a previous trip to Germany in
    2008, he had criticized the country's integration policies, warning
    that assimilation was a "crime against humanity."
    In the dispute over visa requirements, the Turks make reference to the
    many existing bureaucratic hurdles, even for Turkish businessmen
    interested in investing in Germany. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
    called this "humiliating treatment" of his country as an EU membership
    candidate.

    Observers believe that while in Ankara, Merkel will point to Turkey's
    ongoing negotiations with the European Commission and foreclose the
    possibility of a solely German decision. However, as long as no
    commitments are made on the visa matter, Turkey will probably not be
    willing to take back refugees who fled from its borders into Greece -
    an issue considered to be very important for the EU.

    Fighting terrorism

    Another essential aspect of German-Turkish relations is the joint
    effort against religious or politically motivated extremism and
    international terrorism. According to Germany security authorities,
    there is room for improvement in cooperation between the countries. An
    agreement is expected to be signed stipulating that the interior
    ministers of both countries are to meet semi-annually to discuss
    security matters.

    On Merkel's agenda in Ankara will also be the situation in Iran, the
    war in Syria and the conflict in the Middle East. Talks on economic
    ties, as well as reconciliation between Turkey and neighboring
    Armenia, are also scheduled.



    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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