Turkey Welcomes EU Council's Enlargement Conclusions

From Turkish Weekly:

Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement issued Tuesday night, it welcomed the "Enlargement Conclusions" released by EU's General Affairs Council that will be presented to the EU Summit to be held next week, only voicing objection to conclusions on the Cyprus issue.

Turkey Welcomes EU Council's Enlargement Conclusions

Turkey's long wait

The following graph illustrates the special case in which Turkey finds itself in terms of how long it has stood at the EU's door compared to other current applicants and recent members.

The graph is taken from my forthcoming book Turkey and the European Union: Christian and Secular Images of Islam, NY: Palgrave Macmillan. I will be posting selections from the book on this blog. In the book, I try to shed light on the special challenges that Turkey's EU bid faces by looking at history and issues of collective identity.

Turkey's entry bid scores mixed points in EU debate | Reuters

The Council's statement on enlargement and the accession process is now out. You can access and download the original document here. Reuters summarizes the gist of the statement, which expresses 'deep regret' that Turkey is not living up to the so-called Additional Protocol (which would have Turkey opens its ports to ships flying the Cypriot flag), 'welcomes' the recent constitutional reform as an 'important step in the right direction,' but notes that 'further progress is needed.' The Council

encourages Turkey to further improve the observance of fundamental rights and freedoms in law and in practice.

The statement also suggests that the opening up of the competition chapter can be achieved early next year.

Turkey's entry bid scores mixed points in EU debate | Reuters

EU ministers: Talks with Turkey have reached "more demanding stage" - Monsters and Critics

Deutsche Presse Agentur reports that a draft discussed by EU ministers today will note that negotiations with Turkey 'have reached a more demanding stage.' Ministers are expected to reassure Turkey that progress is possible, but obstacles lie ahead:

Eight chapters have been frozen by the EU because of Turkey's long-simmering conflict with Cyprus, with the island nation having informally blocked another six. On top of that, France is preventing advances on another handful out of opposition to Turkey's EU entry.

EU ministers: Talks with Turkey have reached "more demanding stage" - Monsters and Critics

Cardinal Ratzinger Moderated Opposition to Turkey Joining Europe on Becoming Pope: Wikileaks | Informed Comment

Juan Cole's blog (Informed Comment) reflects on the recent Wikileaks cables that show a Cardinal Ratzinger - on his way to becoming pope - who was more skeptical of Turkish EU membership than the official Vatican line. Prof. Cole takes issue with the headline of the Guardian's report: "Future pope objects to EU membership for Muslim Turkey." On Prof. Cole's interpretation, Cardinal Ratzinger modified his personal conviction to fit the official Vatican line upon becoming pope.

My rejoinder would be that this indeed seems to have been the case, but it is nevertheless likely significant for the Vatican position over the long run that the new pope sees Turkey as a threat to Europe's Christian identity. While I am not a close observer of the Vatican, I cannot help but get the feeling that the pope's recent trip to Turkey was more of an attempt to mend relations that had gone sour due to e.g. the pontiff's 2006 remarks in Regensburg, which were seen as offensive by many Muslims in Turkey and elsewhere, than a sign of a new heading for the Vatican under Benedict.

Cardinal Ratzinger Moderated Opposition to Turkey Joining Europe on Becoming Pope: Wikileaks | Informed Comment

Turkey reaches out to Greek Christian minority – CNN Belief Blog - CNN.com Blogs

From CNN's Belief Blog, a report on the resent easing of restrictions on Turkey's small Greek Orthodox, most recently by granting passports to Orthodox bishop.

"A more tolerant society is emerging in Turkey," said Egemen Bagis, Turkey's top negotiator in its troubled bid to join the European Union.

"The situation in Turkey might not be perfect. But it is definitely better. And it is improving day by day," said Bagis, at a religious freedoms conference at the European Parliament in Brussels last month.

Turkey reaches out to Greek Christian minority – CNN Belief Blog - CNN.com Blogs

European values: liberty or tyranny - Features - Al Jazeera English

A survey of recent Islamophobic and xenophobic trends in Europe, from al Jazeera English (by a Dr. Parvaz.)

And it is not just tabloids that have contributed to the hysteria - social media has played a role in the anti-immigration, anti-Islam campaign, with film clips predicting when various Western countries will become Muslim states getting millions of hits, and clips refuting those claims receiving just a fraction of the interest.

European values: liberty or tyranny - Features - Al Jazeera English

WikiLeaks: German foreign minister privately strongly against Turkey joining EU

From The Hindu on December 11:

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle is far more opposed to Turkey joining the European Union than he has expressed publicly, the media reported on Saturday, quoting U.S. embassy documents released by WikiLeaks.

You will find the article here: The Hindu : News / International : WikiLeaks: German foreign minister against Turkey joining EU

Link courtesy of Turkishdigest.

Bildt, Frattini, Hague, and Stubbs in the NYT

Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt in an op-ed on enlargement in today's New York Times, together with his British, Italian, and Finish colleagues:

The crucial question is not whether Turkey is turning its back on Europe, but rather if Europe is turning its back on the fundamental values and principles that have guided European integration over the last 50 years.

Belgian presidency cancels Turkey talks scheduled for Dec 22

According to Toby Vogel at the European Voice, the outgoing Belgian EU presidency will stop short of opening a new chapter in the negotiations over Turkish accession, and has cancelled talks with Turkish officials scheduled for December 22. Vogel points out that the Belgian presidency will be

the first since Turkey began membership talks with the EU in 2005 that fails to open a single negotiating chapter.

The Belgian foreign minister justified the decision not to open the chapter on competition because Turkey's progress on the issue had been "a bit too slow."