15 Dic 2009 - Ankara Continues to Resist EU Accession Conditions

TURKEY / EU: A DEAD-END PROCESS
Ankara Continues to Resist EU Accession Conditions
On December 7-8, the European Union Council of Foreign Ministers tackled the controversial issue of Turkey’s application for membership. Despite the widespread exasperation expressed by EU member States, the Council chose to give Turkey a last chance to fulfil its numerous unfulfilled commitments, including its lack of recognition of Cyprus. Indeed, part of the European territory in Cyprus is still occupied by the Turkish army.

Regarding the refusal by Turkey to ratify the Ankara protocol, which would imply Cyprus recognition, the Council notes “with deep regret that Turkey, despite repeated calls, continues refusing to fulfil its obligation of full non-discriminatory implementation of the Additional Protocol to the Association Agreement” and “Turkey has not made progress towards normalisation of its relations with the Republic of Cyprus”. The Council conclusions state that “in the absence of progress on this issue the Council will maintain its measures from 2006”, alluding to the freezing of the start of eight chapters of negotiation and to the halt to concluding others.

As expected, the Council welcomes “the significant diplomatic efforts made to normalise relations with Armenia, […]”. It looks forward “to the ratification and implementation of the protocols as soon as possible”.

The European Armenian Federation regrets that the Council’s fell silent on Turkey’s deception: At the very same time of the protocols’ signature, Ankara introduced major obstacles to their ratification by raising additional and irrelevant conditions, thus failing to sign the agreement to withdraw the blockade of Armenia and to normalize its relations with this country.

“It is obvious that by signing these protocols with pomp and circumstance, Turkey just aimed at neutralizing the EU criticisms regarding its denial of the Armenian Genocide and its blockade of neighbouring Armenia. Therefore, we are pessimistic about Turkey’s sincerity” stated Hilda Tchoboian, the chairperson of the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy.

The Council’s conclusions also refer to the Intergovernmental agreement on the Nabucco gas pipeline, bypassing Russia, alleging that “Turkey is an important regional player, inter alia for the security in the Middle East and the Southern Caucasus and plays a key role in energy supply and the promotion of dialogue between civilisations”.

“The bland wordings of the Council hardly hide the threat to Europe by the neo-ottoman, imperial and Islamic shift of this country. Such a hard-lined Turkey, fiercely resisting the EU’s legitimate demands, can be neither a factor of stability nor a reliable partner for Europe’s energy supply,” concluded Tchoboian.

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