 Turkey's chief EU negotiator Egemen Bağış. AA photo |
Turkish officials have expressed optimism about moving ahead with the country’s EU accession negotiations during the Hungarian term presidency despite a lack of progress under previous EU president Belgium.
“Hungary has already taken its first step to support Turkey’s EU membership,” State Minister Egemen Bağış, Turkey’s chief EU negotiator, told daily Sabah on Sunday. “It will organize a ministerial summit for the candidate countries Jan. 13 in Hungary. Candidate countries, including Turkey, will come together for the first time since 2005.”
Hungary started its six-month rotating presidency of the European Union on Jan. 1. During previous president Belgium’s term, Turkey failed to open a single chapter in its talks with the bloc. Each side blamed the failure on the other, but Bağış said it was due to a disagreement between Belgium and the European Commission.
“We have actually removed necessary [obstacles] to be able to open the competition chapter. Turkey’s economic boom is whetting the Europeans’ appetite. But we are not going to risk our economy and industry to open a chapter,” Bağış said. “Our decision would be not to open this chapter if Europeans try to get further concessions from us.”
When asked about his expectations from the Hungarian term presidency, Bağış recalled a meeting he held last year with Hungarian President Pal Schmitt. “He told me: ‘Normally I do not meet with ministers. You are the first one in this category. There is a reason for this,’” Bağış said. “‘Your ancestors who ruled our country in the past did not intervene in either our religion or our language. They approached us with tolerance.’”
According to Bağış, the Hungarian president promised to back Turkey’s EU bid just as Turkey supported Hungary’s NATO membership.
Turkey will continue its reform process in 2011 with a comprehensive constitutional renewal process that will also include consideration of adopting a presidential system, the state minister said. “Our priority after the elections will be amending the constitution,” Bağış added.
Turkey’s EU accession bid has faced ongoing problems over its failure to implement a protocol for Greek Cypriots to benefit from Turkey’s customs union agreement with Brussels. In a separate interview with the Greek Cypriot daily Politis, Bağış denied reports that Turkey and the EU had agreed to a formula under which Turkey would open a port in return for having blocked chapters in the accession negotiations opened.
“Hungary has already taken its first step to support Turkey’s EU membership,” State Minister Egemen Bağış, Turkey’s chief EU negotiator, told daily Sabah on Sunday. “It will organize a ministerial summit for the candidate countries Jan. 13 in Hungary. Candidate countries, including Turkey, will come together for the first time since 2005.”
Hungary started its six-month rotating presidency of the European Union on Jan. 1. During previous president Belgium’s term, Turkey failed to open a single chapter in its talks with the bloc. Each side blamed the failure on the other, but Bağış said it was due to a disagreement between Belgium and the European Commission.
“We have actually removed necessary [obstacles] to be able to open the competition chapter. Turkey’s economic boom is whetting the Europeans’ appetite. But we are not going to risk our economy and industry to open a chapter,” Bağış said. “Our decision would be not to open this chapter if Europeans try to get further concessions from us.”
When asked about his expectations from the Hungarian term presidency, Bağış recalled a meeting he held last year with Hungarian President Pal Schmitt. “He told me: ‘Normally I do not meet with ministers. You are the first one in this category. There is a reason for this,’” Bağış said. “‘Your ancestors who ruled our country in the past did not intervene in either our religion or our language. They approached us with tolerance.’”
According to Bağış, the Hungarian president promised to back Turkey’s EU bid just as Turkey supported Hungary’s NATO membership.
Turkey will continue its reform process in 2011 with a comprehensive constitutional renewal process that will also include consideration of adopting a presidential system, the state minister said. “Our priority after the elections will be amending the constitution,” Bağış added.
Turkey’s EU accession bid has faced ongoing problems over its failure to implement a protocol for Greek Cypriots to benefit from Turkey’s customs union agreement with Brussels. In a separate interview with the Greek Cypriot daily Politis, Bağış denied reports that Turkey and the EU had agreed to a formula under which Turkey would open a port in return for having blocked chapters in the accession negotiations opened.
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