HÜRRIYET: WASHINGTON - Turkey must speed up long-delayed reforms to keep its bid to join the European Union on track amid fatigue over expanding membership of the 27-nation bloc, the EU's enlargement chief said on Thursday.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said there was "plenty of work" for Turkey to do on issues such as freedom of expression and the media, as well as trade union rights, if it wanted entry into the bloc.
"Turkey needs to seriously resume reforms enhancing fundamental freedoms," Rehn told Reuters in an interview in Washington, where he was meeting U.S. State Department and World Bank officials to discuss a range of issues, including Turkey.
He said Turkey must adopt a law on trade unions respecting the standards of international labor organizations -- a demand made for the past three years.
"It was last promised in January and then by April and we have not seen it. Therefore we cannot open a chapter (negotiations) on social policy in employment as there is no agreement," Rehn said.
In Turkey, skepticism about the EU and the belief it is unfairly hindering the majority Muslim but secular nation's accession talks have grown, with powerful conservative opponents having said they will resist attempts to change the constitution.
Opinion polls show many Turks feel the EU has cooled toward the country and that the bloc will not accept Turkey as a member state, even if Ankara meets all political and economic requirements for EU accession. >>> | Friday, June 05, 2009
