Turkey refuses early concessions

Date: 09/09/1999

By Simon Taylor

TURKEY will not make any early concessions to EU governments to qualify as a full candidate for Union membership, Ankara's ambassador to the Union Nihat Akyol has warned.

“It would not be politically realistic to require Turkey to respond to this kind of diktat,” Akyol told European Voice this week, referring to the idea that Ankara could be asked to meet certain preconditions before its bid to join the Union is unblocked.

Turkey's tough stance underlines the enormous political challenge which remains as EU governments search for a formula acceptable to all 15 member states for boosting Ankara's relations with the Union.

It follows a recent upturn in hopes of a breakthrough in relations following last month's earthquake, which were dented last weekend when Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh emerged as the latest opponent of closer relations with Turkey. She insisted on a range of human rights reforms before the Union could extend an olive branch to Ankara at December's Helsinki summit.

EU officials also caution that signs of a softening in Athens' traditional hardline stance on Turkey may not be as significant as some have suggested. They point out that Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou has said Athens will only approve EU aid if it is linked directly to reconstruction efforts. He also still insists Ankara will have to make concessions on controversial issues such as the division of Cyprus if it wants to be treated as a normal applicant state.

But in one significant thawing of relations, Turkey's Foreign Minister Ismail Cem will meet his EU counterparts for the first time in two years next Monday (13 September) to discuss Ankara's needs in the wake of the earthquake and Turkey's desire to be treated as a candidate for EU membership without special conditions.

Union officials say there will only be brief discussion among Union ministers on Ankara's application because a public argument at this stage could be counter-productive.

But Lindh's remarks suggest Turkey's poor record on democracy and human rights mean it is as far from joining the EU as ever. At last weekend's informal meeting with fellow EU foreign ministers in Finland, she set out a “road map” which Ankara would have to follow to join the Union and added that Turkey should give the EU a “down payment” before Helsinki.

She called for legal reforms including the abolition of the death penalty, a ban on torture, ratification of the United Nations convention on human rights, and the opening of a dialogue with leaders of the country's Kurdish minority.

But Turkey's ambassador ruled out jumping through any hoops to please EU governments. “Turkey believes that such things as road maps can only be organised between the two of us when we are recognised as candidates,” said Akyol.

But he rejected suggestions that opposition to better relations with Ankara was growing. “There was certainly a positive atmosphere about EU-Turkish relations in Saariselkä and we are not at the end of our efforts,” he said.

Meanwhile, EU finance ministers will discuss a possible package of European Investment Bank loans for Turkey worth €600 million at an informal meeting this weekend. An extra €120 million from the MEDA budget for Mediterranean countries may also be provided.

EU governments have already called on MEPs to unblock two aid programmes worth €150 million. So far, the Union has provided €4 million in humanitarian aid from the ECHO budget and pledged a further €35-40 million for emergency housing.