7
October 2004
2. "Turkey's report: the key points", feature from the EU Observer.
3. "What EU countries think of Turkish membership", here are the views from some EU member states on Turkish membership.
4. "US hails report on Turkey's EU membership, calls for quick start to accession talks", the United States on Wednesday said it was pleased with a recommendation from the European Union's executive arm that Turkey begin membership talks with the bloc and called for a quick start to the negotiations.
5. "IPA Calls for Amendment to Penal Code", International Publishers' Association sent a letter to the Presidency of the EU and the Commission seeking their assistance in calling upon the Turkish Authorities to abandon the Armenian Genocide, a measure jeopardizing freedom of expression.
6. "Turkish official, Edelman discuss PKK, Makhmur", U.S. Ambassador Eric Edelman and Foreign Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Nabi Sensoy discussed Turkey's security concerns regarding the presence of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) camped in the northern Iraq and closure of the Makhmur Camp, a U.S. official said yesterday.
1. - EUPolitix.com - "Turkey entry splits EU executive":
7 October 2004
Deep European Commission splits emerged during a heated four hour
debate on Turkey’s EU membership bid – including objections
from Europe’s new enlargement chief.
The Finn lined up with seven colleagues to mount resistance to Brussels chief Romano Prodi and current enlargement chief Günter Verhuegen.
His opposition will dismay Ankara as Rehn takes over Europe’s enlargement job on November 1 and must pilot Turkey’s EU entry proposal through a difficult EU summit in December.
Frits Bolkestein led hardliners in battle against Turkey: “the only one with any balls”, reports the Independent.
The Dutch internal market commissioner shocked colleagues last month with a speech warning that an invasion of Turkish migrants could lead to an Islamic Europe.
French trade commissioner Pascal Lamy also opposed Ankara’s membership bid, in what Figaro describes as a “last ditch struggle”.
Lamy told colleagues that Turkey was “not yet ready” for EU membership, urging the commission to consider a “privileged partnership” for Ankara.
“All were very astonished by his attitude. He laid down conditions that seemed clearly opposed with the opening of the negotiations with Ankara,” another commissioner told Figaro.
Jacques Barrot, current EU regional policy chief and future commission vice-president, also had problems.
“Barrot also has reservations, but his requests were more reasonable. On the basic principle of the recommendation, he agreed, because it corresponds completely to the Chirac line,” reported the French newspaper.
German budget commissioner Michaele Schreyer insisted, reports Die Welt, “there is no requirement for equal treatment” of Ankara’s entry bid.
Europe’s agriculture chief Franz Fischler restated his objections – a leaked letter categorically opposing Ankara for form the Austrian caused Turkish markets to crash last month.
Also registering opposition were: Spanish vice-president, and transport
commissioner Loyola de Palacio; Slovakia’s Jan Figel and Greek
Cypriot Markos Kyprionou. 
2. - EUobserver - "Turkey's report: the key points":
7 October 2004 / by Andrew Beatty Progress
"The Commission considers that Turkey sufficiently fulfils the political criteria and recommends that accession negotiations be opened".
Although no date has been recommended to start negotiations, significantly the Commission has suggested to EU-member states, who will have the final say on the matter in December, that Turkey has made enough progress in the political reform process to start talks.
Implimentation
"Implementation measures need to be further consolidated and
broadened".
It is a yes, but. With major reforms already set out in law, the Commission has turned the focus squarely on implementation. Brussels is stressing the continuous nature of meeting the membership criteria, repeatedly describing it as 'a process' in a bid to keep pressure on Ankara.
Get out clause
"The Commission will recommend the suspension of the negotiations
in the case of a serious and persistent breach of the principles of
liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms".
Aside from keeping pressure on Turkey to implement reforms, the Commission is stressing that negotiations could be stopped at any time and that the process is open ended "whose outcome cannot be guaranteed before hand", giving the EU a stronger hand in negotiations and a little more flexibility.
Workers
"For the free movement of workers, permanent safeguards can be
considered".
The EU has delayed the movement of workers before, as is the case with the EU members who joined in May this year, however it has never put permanent safeguards in place. In spite of it being one of the EU's four freedoms, pressure from Germany, which already has a substantial Turkish minority, meant that Commissioners agreed to raise the possibility of implementing permanent measures.
Time frame
"The EU will need to define its financial perspective for the
period from 2014 before negotiations can be concluded".
Although there is no date for finishing negotiations, there is, de
facto, a date for starting them. With Turkey unable to negotiate the
financial terms of membership before the EU agrees on its budget from
2014 on, realistically Turkey cannot hope to join the EU for another
nine years at least. Even then this could leave tricky portions of
agriculture and other negotiations open until that date.
3. - Reuters - "What EU countries think of Turkish membership":
Here are the views from some EU member states on Turkish membership.
BRUSSELS / 7 October 2004
FRANCE - President Jacques Chirac supports Turkish entry but the conservative Union for a Popular Movement party, which dominates government, is against. Chirac has promised a referendum before Turkey eventually joins.
The latest IPSOS poll on Sept. 24/25 showed 36 percent of voters support Turkish entry now, 56 percent against, 8 percent no response. Some 63 percent could imagine it joining in future.
GERMANY - Germany's Social Democrat-Greens government, with one eye on the country's 2.5 million Turks, backs opening entry talks. The opposition Christian Democrats (CDU) oppose entry and are pushing instead to give Turkey a "privileged partnership".
A poll of 1,000 Germans for ARD television on Sept. 28-29 found 55 percent would support Turkey joining the EU "in the medium to long term", with 41 percent opposed. Other recent polls have shown a majority opposes membership.
BRITAIN - Tony Blair's Labour government is "profoundly and absolutely committed to determining a start date for these negotiations in December," Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said last month. Mainstream opposition is also publicly supportive.
There have been no opinion polls but a Eurosceptic tabloid press plays a key role in shaping public opinion and played up scares of mass labour migration before the May 1 enlargement when 10 new members joined.
ITALY - Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi warmly endorses Turkey's bid. But at least one coalition partner, the Northern League, opposed. Senior Vatican officials, who carry significant weight in Italy, are also against Turkish entry, saying the EU should focus on its Christian roots.
A recent IPSOS opinion poll showed 48 percent of Italians supported Turkish entry with 30 percent opposed. Some 22 percent were undecided or declined to answer.
CYPRUS - Divided island is home to ethnic Turkish Cypriots, ardent supporters of Turkey's bid, and Greek Cypriots with an axe to grind against Ankara.
Greek Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos, leader of the internationally recognised government, is loath to disclose his view. But has said "vetoes are for the big guys". In July, 45 percent of Greek Cypriots polled for Politis daily said they would back Papadopoulos if he vetoed Turkey's bid.
NETHERLANDS - Current holder of the rotating EU presidency. The centre-right coalition government and opposition PvdA favour membership in principle. Jozias van Aartsen, leader of liberal VVD party, wants a referendum on Turkish entry in 2016 or 2017.
An independent advisory panel is pro-accession, saying talks should be opened in 2006. A September poll of 1,000 people found 41 percent against Turkish entry, 21 percent in favour, 30 percent said they didn't care, 8 percent had no opinion.
AUSTRIA - Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel favours talks if the outcome short of full membership, possibly "reduced membership", is considered. Coalition partner Freedom Party has threatened to pull out of government if Schuessel backs opening talks.
September Gallup poll showed 76 percent against government backing talks, 20 percent in favour and four percent undecided (no margin of error given). Asked whether Turkey could be ready for membership in next 10-20 years, 68 pct said no, 27 pct yes.
GREECE - Conservative Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis is a strong supporter of Turkey's bid, continuing the rapprochement policy of his socialist predecessor, Costas Simitis.
Karamanlis openly backs Turkish accession talks even after Athens and Ankara failed to solve the Cyprus dispute this year.
Apart from fringe nationalist groups with limited support, all opposition parties back Turkey's bid, seeing membership adding to security and stability in the eastern Mediterranean.
Employers groups across the EU favour Turkish membership.
4. - AFP - "US hails report on Turkey's EU membership, calls
for quick start to accession talks":
WASHINGTON / 6 October 2004
The United States on Wednesday said it was pleased with a recommendation from the European Union's executive arm that Turkey begin membership talks with the bloc and called for a quick start to the negotiations.
The State Department said that Washington, which has long lobbied in favor of NATO ally Turkey joining the European Union, would react favorably if the European Council decides in December to set a date for such discussions.
"We welcome the EU's positive recommendation on Turkey," deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said. "We have long supported Turkey's eventual membership in the European Union and would certainly welcome a European Council decision in December to set an early date to begin accession talks."
He added that the United States was also pleased that Turkey had reaffirmed its "strong commitment to continue reform" throughout the accession process.
Earlier Wednesday, the European Commission recommended the start of Turkey's accession talks but made it clear that Turkey could not join for at least a decade and warned that negotiations would be called off if it backtracked on human rights and democratic reforms.
And, the commissioners set no start date for the talks, leaving that
up to the EU leaders at a mid-December summit.
5. - Bianet - "IPA Calls for Amendment to Penal Code":
International Publishers' Association sent a letter to the Presidency of the EU and the Commission seeking their assistance in calling upon the Turkish Authorities to abandon the Armenian Genocide, a measure jeopardizing freedom of expression.
GENEVA / 7 October 2004
Publishers call out to Romano Prodi and successor José Manuel Barroso to put an end to the criminalization of the expression of the Armenian Genocide
On 4 October 2004, the International Publishers' Association (IPA) sent a letter to the Dutch Presidency of the European Union (EU) and to the President of the EU Commission, Mr. Romano Prodi as well as incoming President José-Manuel Barroso, seeking their assistance in calling upon the Turkish Authorities to abandon the criminalization of expression of the Armenian Genocide, a measure jeopardizing freedom of expression and freedom to publish.
According to Article 306 of the new Turkish Penal Code adopted on 27 September 2004, a citizen who demands the withdrawal of Turkish soldiers from Cyprus or declares that the Armenian genocide actually took place during the First World War can be pursued by virtue of Article 306. Prison sentences range from "three to ten years".
Says Lars Grahn, President of the IPA Freedom to Publish Committee: "The criminalization of the expression of the Armenian Genocide amounts to an unjustified limitation of 'freedom of expression', a fundamental right which is guaranteed under numerous international instruments to which Turkey is a party".
Says Ana Maria Cabanellas, President of the IPA: "The many reform
packages adopted in Turkey thus far are in part designed to improve
Turkey's freedom of expression record by amending various provisions
of Turkey's major legislation. IPA welcomes these changes. However,
it is fundamental that these legislative measures are implemented
effectively. This effort must now include amending Article 306 of
the new Penal Code".
6. - Turkish Daily News - "Turkish official, Edelman discuss PKK, Makhmur":
ANKARA / 7 October 2004
U.S. Ambassador Eric Edelman and Foreign Ministry Deputy Undersecretary
Nabi Sensoy discussed Turkey's security concerns regarding the presence
of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) camped in the northern
Iraq and closure of the Makhmur Camp, a U.S. official said yesterday.
Turkey has long complained about infiltrations of the outlawed PKK members through the Turkish-Iraqi border to its territory and sought cooperation of the U.S. and Iraqi administration to eradicate the group's presence in Kurdish controlled northern Iraq. Ankara also says the Makhmur Camp located below the 36th parallel is controlled by the PKK and wants it to be evacuated and closed down.
Edelman met Sensoy late on Tuesday at the Turkish Foreign Ministry. The U.S. official told TDN that the U.S. did not foresee a military operation against the PKK due to lack of resources and security in Iraq. But Washington earlier announced that it was using "non-military means" against the outlawed group. "This is an ongoing process. The United Nations and UNHCR are also dealing with the issue," said the official regarding the Makhmur Camp dispute. He declined to give further details.
A deal that foresees the closure of Makhmur and plans the organized voluntary return of refugees there and building new houses for them, could not be finalized due to a disagreement among Ankara, Washington and international organizations over whether the Kurdish refugees there could be brought to Turkey or not.
The Makhmur camp, in which around 70 percent of the estimated 13,000
Turkish Kurdish refugees live, was described by Ankara in the past
as no better than a PKK base.