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ANKARA: Turkey, Germany Call For Talks On New Chapters

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  • ANKARA: Turkey, Germany Call For Talks On New Chapters

    TURKEY, GERMANY CALL FOR TALKS ON NEW CHAPTERS

    Today's Zaman, Turkey
    Feb 3 2014

    3 February 2014 /İSTANBUL, TODAY'S ZAMAN

    Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and his German counterpart,
    Frank-Walter Steinmeier, both stressed on Monday the need to open
    talks on the EU accession chapters related to rights and freedoms, as
    well as justice and security, saying that for Turkey to get over the
    turbulence of recent developments that have shaken Turkey's political
    stability, talks on new chapters will be of crucial importance.

    Speaking during a joint press conference after a bilateral meeting
    with Steinmeier in Berlin, Davutoglu noted that if the EU wants to
    be included in Turkey's judiciary reforms and desires that Turkey's
    judicial reforms continue in line with EU standards, Chapters 23 and
    24, which cover issues related to the judiciary, fundamental rights,
    freedom and security, need to be opened. His remarks came amid EU
    officials' increasing concerns about the independence of the judiciary
    in Turkey in the wake of the government corruption scandal that became
    public on Dec. 17.

    Steinmeier expressed Germany's support for Turkey's EU bid at the
    conference. He said it is important to keep the EU's door open to
    Turkey following the corruption scandal and that he's advocating for
    the opening of two new components of the membership talks. He stressed
    the need for the opening of the sections of Turkey's membership
    negotiations that address justice and human rights.

    Though welcoming the opening of the talks on those two chapters, Ankara
    is pressing the EU for further progress in the accession process by
    also giving the green light for the opening of talks on additional
    chapters. Turkey hopes for the opening of as many chapters as possible
    because there are still 21 chapters that are as yet unopened.

    Davutoglu and Steinmeier's remarks came just ahead of Prime Minister
    Recep Tayyip Erdogan's two-day visit to Germany, beginning on Monday.

    The visit is part of a flurry of activity to keep up the momentum
    between Turkey and the EU that recently increased with the opening
    of Chapter 22 on regional policy and coordination of structural
    instruments and the newly signed agreements with the EU on visa
    liberalization and readmission. Meetings with EU officials and visits
    to EU countries have intensified considerably in recent weeks.

    Davutoglu also underlined that Turkey is confident that Germany's
    role will boost Turkey-EU relations. "We believe that Germany's
    encouragement on this issue [Turkey's accession process] will set off
    a big reaction in Europe," he said, underlining that Turkey expects
    to proceed to a new phase in relations with the EU.

    Bilateral relations between Turkey and Germany, Turkey's bid to join
    the union and the recent political unrest in Turkey are likely to
    form the agenda of the meetings that Erdogan is expected to hold with
    German officials that include Social Democratic Party (SPD) Chairman
    Sigmar Gabriel and Steinmeier as well as Chancellor Angela Merkel.

    Erdogan is likely to seek the support of German officials for Turkey's
    bid to become a full member of the EU.

    However, although Turkey has been trying to refresh its relationship
    with the EU, it has recently deteriorated following the exposure of
    a corruption investigation and then was further damaged by a draft
    bill to restructure the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors
    (HSYK). EU officials quickly expressed their uneasiness with the
    government's handling of recent developments and issued a number of
    statements sharply criticizing the Turkish government. One of the
    harshest remarks came from the German foreign minister, who signaled
    in mid-January that Turkey's negotiation process is at risk. He warned
    Ankara to revise its stance on recent events or Turkey's membership
    negotiations with the EU may need to be suspended.

    At the press conference, Davutoglu alluded to Steinmeier's remarks,
    saying that the two can discuss their opinions on the internal
    developments of both countries openly and reciprocally.

    While Erdogan was preparing to leave for Berlin, Germany's Christian
    Democratic Union (CDU) deputy Erika Steinbach said Erdogan should
    apologize to Armenians for the events of 1915. According reports in
    Turkish media citing a report of the German daily Bild, Steinbach
    called on Erdogan not to deny the genocide committed against Armenians
    and Assyrians by the Young Turk government of the Ottoman Empire.

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