Turkey announced a reformed plan to gain membership into the EU, which includes an increase in the dialogue between the EU and Turkey and significant social, economic and political reforms.
Turkish minister for EU Affairs Volkan Bozkir announced today Turkey’s new strategy to gain entrance into the European Union, which is titled “Determination in the Political Reform Process, Continuity in Socio-Economic Transformation, Effectiveness in Communication.” Turkey officially began negotiating with EU for accession in 2005.
“This new strategy aims at eliminating the obstacles on Turkey’s pat to the EU membership by accelerating the dynamics of Turkey-EU relations,” Bozkir said in an accompanying statement.
The plan for Turkey’s accession into the EU states that Turkey will improve upon its political structure, its economic relationship to its citizens and it diplomatic relationship with the EU.
“The EU accession process is a significant reform project which facilitates adoption of global standards and best practices in Turkey,” the report stated. “The process requires fundamental changes in all fields of daily life from production to consumption, justice to security, health to education, agriculture to industry and energy to environment.”
In the political arena, the report states that the pillar of the reform will revolve around improving the effectiveness of the nation’s constitution and creating a strong and safe democracy for its citizens. The plan also states Turkey will aim to use the benefits of its improving economy to invest in infrastructure and regional development in the nation’s poorer areas. The final component of the plan outlines an effort to make citizens more comfortable with the prospect of joining the EU and to strengthen the collaboration and sense of trust between Turkey, the EU and EU member states.
“It has become essential to develop an EU strategy based on concrete steps and an intensive interaction network,” the report said. “Turkey and the EU are encountering common challenges which in fact underline the importance of Turkey’s accession process in shaping the EU project.”
Since negotiations began in 2005, 14 chapters of the EU acquis have been opened and one has been provisionally closed. 17 chapters are currently blocked by objections from the Council of the European Union and some member states. The nature of those objections range from the EU being a “Christian Union” and a reluctance to include Turkey’s predominantly Muslim population, to the issue of Turkey’s size, which would command a sizeable portion of Parliament seats, to the issue of Turkey’s geographic distance from many of the EU member states.
(από www.neurope.eu 18 Sept 2014)