“The EU must start talks with Turkey”

The widely spread hesitation of some European leaders before starting the negotiations round with Turkey, foreseen for October 3rd, has caused frustration among a growing sector of the Turkish population. From now on, a part of the Turks thinks that the EU will continue to put new obstacles to prevent Turkey from joining the EU. We have tried to persuade them to trust the EU. We will soon know whether we were right.
Turkey met the two conditions stated on December 17th, 2004, to begin with the negotiations: the law reform and the adoption of a protocol for adjustment of the Customs Union Agreement. The recognition of Cyprus was not part of the preliminary conditions. This issue is a complex one and depends on the UN, which is working on the reunification of the Island. Probably, Kofi Annan may very soon resume his good practice, and the reunification may occur long before 2015 – the closest date set for a possible Turkish adhesion to the EU. Opposite to what some European leaders have said, a “privileged partnership” cannot be an alternative for the inclusion. The use of the term “open negotiation” in relation to the negotiations with Turkey was already a humiliation for the Turks before it was accepted as a constructive ambiguity, so typical of international diplomacy.
One cannot lose sight of the fact that the objective of the negotiations should not be other than the full and complete adhesion of Turkey. In view of the number of already existing associations, it is hard to see which added value, apart from full right adhesion, could reward the relations between the EU and Turkey. This is what the European Commissioner for the Enlargement Olli Rehn understood. There is no coming back in official decisions and promises.