 |
|
"A
Europe that is sure of itself…. has nothing to fear from the
integration of
Turkey
," said Prodi
|
BRUSSELS,
October 6 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - The European
Commission on Wednesday, October 6, gave Turkey a green light to start
talks to join the European Union, but set a series of tough conditions
warning there was no guarantee of success.
The
EU executive's recommendations, which will form the basis for decision
by EU leaders in mid-December, were approved despite concerns from
some that
Turkey
is simply too big to join the European club, reported Agence
France-Presse (AFP).
"The
commission's answer is yes ... It is a conditional yes," European
Commission President Romano Prodi told the European Parliament, adding
the 25-nation bloc had nothing to fear from Turkish membership.
"A
Europe that is sure of itself, has a constitution and strong
institutions and policies, is returning to economic growth and is
based on a strong model of peace, prosperity and solidarity has
nothing to fear from the integration of
Turkey
."
Turkey
, an official candidate since 1999, has been waiting to join the euro
bloc for decades but its efforts have stumbled over its civil rights
record.
The
Turkish parliament adopted
last month a far-reaching overhaul of the country's 78-year-old penal
code, clearing a major obstacle to accession talks.
‘Historic’
 |
|
"We
hope to bring a long-traveled road to its final lap with the
initiation of accession negotiations in the first half of
2005," said Erdogan
|
Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said
Ankara
hopes to start EU negotiations in the first half of next year, leading
to membership in a "reasonable period of time."
"We
hope to bring a long-traveled road to its final lap with the
initiation of accession negotiations in the first half of 2005,"
he said in
Strasbourg
,
France
, shortly before the commission signed off on its report.
His
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul called the recommendation a
"historic step" for both
Turkey
and the EU.
He
said he had not yet seen the full text of the commission's report and
said a detailed statement would be issued later.
Justice
Minister Cemil Cicek told NTV television that the commission’s
report "generally" meets the country's expectations but its
details have yet to be studied.
European
Welcome
Germany
and
Greece
were quick to welcome the move.
A
German government spokesman said it was a "very balanced
report" and added that Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder would vote at
the EU summit for
Turkey
to begin negotiations.
"The
cabinet agreed that on the basis of the report negotiations should be
opened with
Turkey
," he added.
Greece
,
Turkey
's neighbor, NATO partner and regional rival, also welcomed the
report.
"
Greece
supports
Turkey
's road to
Europe
... the European Commission's report confirms the correctness of our
policy," Greek government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos said
in a statement.
But
he did not say whether EU member
Greece
will support
Ankara
's bid in December summit.
Many
Europeans are alarmed at the prospect of the EU taking in a populous
and mostly Muslim state that has 90 percent of its territory in
Asia
.
An
EU impact report also due out Wednesday says that between 500,000 and
four million Turkish migrants a year could move into the EU after
membership.
Array
of Conditions
A
final version of the European Commission report was not immediately
available to journalists.
A
leaked report, however, concludes that
Turkey
has "sufficiently fulfilled" political criteria to begin
talks, although it remains unclear exactly when those negotiations
could start.
But
it stressed the need for the EU to constantly monitor not only the
pledged reforms but their implementation on the ground too.
The
report also warned that 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 and the rule of law on which the
Union
is founded."
It
further recommends measures to prevent massive labor migration into
the European Union, which is already home to nearly four million
Turkish immigrants.
The
report criticizes
Turkey
's record on torture, religious freedom, and violence against women.
