Vincent Morelli
Section Research Manager
October 2010 marked the fifth anniversary of the European Union’s decision to proceed with formal negotiations with Turkey toward full membership in the Union. It also marked the beginning of the annual period when all three European Union institutions, the Council, Commission, and Parliament, provide their assessment of the progress Turkey had made or failed to accomplish in the accession process over the previous year and to issue recommendations on whether and how Turkey’s accession process should proceed. The EU Commission released its assessment report on November 9, 2010. The Council followed with their “conclusions” on December 14, 2010. Neither institution provided the kind of positive endorsement of the accession talks that pro-EU supporters in Turkey would have hoped for, leading some to believe that the EU might be losing interest in Turkey and that some in Turkey would become even more disillusioned with the EU.
On March 9, the European Parliament issued what some believed was the most critical assessment of Turkey’s EU accession progress to date, prompting a somewhat angry response from Ankara, including an accusation from Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan that the Parliament’s report was written by people who did not know Turkey.
Despite developments that took place in Turkey throughout 2010, its EU accession process continued at a relatively slow pace. Only one additional chapter of the EU’s rules and regulations known as the acquis communautaire was opened in 2010, leaving some to speculate that Turkey’s accession negotiations with the EU were heading for a political and technical stalemate. The principal issues regarding Turkey’s accession continue to be what the EU believes has been too slow of a pace for implementing critical reforms within Turkey and possibly even a few steps backward in the area of press freedoms; Turkey’s continued refusal to extend diplomatic recognition to Cyprus or to live up to its agreement to extend the benefits of its customs union with the EU to Cyprus, including the continued reluctance by Turkey to open its sea and air ports to Cypriot shipping and commerce until a political settlement has been achieved on Cyprus; continued skepticism on the part of many Europeans whether Turkey should be embraced as a member of the European family fueled, in part, by the ongoing debate within parts of Europe over the implications of the growing Muslim population in Europe and the impact Turkey’s admission into the Union would have on Europe’s future; and a perceived ambivalence toward the EU by some in the current Turkish leadership and a growing segment of its population. In fact, for the first time comments among Turks questioning Turkey’s need to join the EU have begun to be heard on a more public and regular basis.
This report provides a brief overview of the EU’s accession process and Turkey’s path to EU membership. The U.S. Congress has had a long-standing interest in Turkey as a NATO ally, a regional energy hub, and a partner in issues involving the Black Sea, Iran, Iraq, the broader Middle East, and the Caucasus. Although many Members have expressed support for Turkey’s membership in the EU, congressional concerns with several of Turkey’s recent foreign policy developments have surfaced. The 112th Congress will likely continue to review Turkey’s relations with the UNITED STATES, the impact of the EU accession process on internal political and economic reforms in Turkey, and Turkey’s apparent intent to become a more independent regional foreign policy influence.
Date of Report: March 15, 2011
Number of Pages: 18
Order Number: RS22517
Price: $29.95
Follow us on TWITTER at http://www.twitter.com/alertsPHP or #CRSreports
Document available via e-mail as a pdf file or in paper form.
To order, e-mail Penny Hill Press or call us at 301-253-0881. Provide a Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover card number, expiration date, and name on the card. Indicate whether you want e-mail or postal delivery. Phone orders are preferred and receive priority processing.
Section Research Manager
October 2010 marked the fifth anniversary of the European Union’s decision to proceed with formal negotiations with Turkey toward full membership in the Union. It also marked the beginning of the annual period when all three European Union institutions, the Council, Commission, and Parliament, provide their assessment of the progress Turkey had made or failed to accomplish in the accession process over the previous year and to issue recommendations on whether and how Turkey’s accession process should proceed. The EU Commission released its assessment report on November 9, 2010. The Council followed with their “conclusions” on December 14, 2010. Neither institution provided the kind of positive endorsement of the accession talks that pro-EU supporters in Turkey would have hoped for, leading some to believe that the EU might be losing interest in Turkey and that some in Turkey would become even more disillusioned with the EU.
On March 9, the European Parliament issued what some believed was the most critical assessment of Turkey’s EU accession progress to date, prompting a somewhat angry response from Ankara, including an accusation from Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan that the Parliament’s report was written by people who did not know Turkey.
Despite developments that took place in Turkey throughout 2010, its EU accession process continued at a relatively slow pace. Only one additional chapter of the EU’s rules and regulations known as the acquis communautaire was opened in 2010, leaving some to speculate that Turkey’s accession negotiations with the EU were heading for a political and technical stalemate. The principal issues regarding Turkey’s accession continue to be what the EU believes has been too slow of a pace for implementing critical reforms within Turkey and possibly even a few steps backward in the area of press freedoms; Turkey’s continued refusal to extend diplomatic recognition to Cyprus or to live up to its agreement to extend the benefits of its customs union with the EU to Cyprus, including the continued reluctance by Turkey to open its sea and air ports to Cypriot shipping and commerce until a political settlement has been achieved on Cyprus; continued skepticism on the part of many Europeans whether Turkey should be embraced as a member of the European family fueled, in part, by the ongoing debate within parts of Europe over the implications of the growing Muslim population in Europe and the impact Turkey’s admission into the Union would have on Europe’s future; and a perceived ambivalence toward the EU by some in the current Turkish leadership and a growing segment of its population. In fact, for the first time comments among Turks questioning Turkey’s need to join the EU have begun to be heard on a more public and regular basis.
This report provides a brief overview of the EU’s accession process and Turkey’s path to EU membership. The U.S. Congress has had a long-standing interest in Turkey as a NATO ally, a regional energy hub, and a partner in issues involving the Black Sea, Iran, Iraq, the broader Middle East, and the Caucasus. Although many Members have expressed support for Turkey’s membership in the EU, congressional concerns with several of Turkey’s recent foreign policy developments have surfaced. The 112th Congress will likely continue to review Turkey’s relations with the UNITED STATES, the impact of the EU accession process on internal political and economic reforms in Turkey, and Turkey’s apparent intent to become a more independent regional foreign policy influence.
Date of Report: March 15, 2011
Number of Pages: 18
Order Number: RS22517
Price: $29.95
Follow us on TWITTER at http://www.twitter.com/alertsPHP or #CRSreports
Document available via e-mail as a pdf file or in paper form.
To order, e-mail Penny Hill Press or call us at 301-253-0881. Provide a Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover card number, expiration date, and name on the card. Indicate whether you want e-mail or postal delivery. Phone orders are preferred and receive priority processing.
