Turkey to step up reforms for EU accession

By George Parker in Brussels
Published: January 15 2007 02:00 Last updated: January 15 2007 02:00

Turkey has vowed to mount a "do-it-yourself" legislative onslaught to prepare for European Union membership, in spite of the fact that significant parts of the accession talks were suspended last month.
The move is being welcomed by Brussels as a positive reaction by Ankara to the partial breakdown of the talks.
Volkan Bozkir, Turkey's ambassador to the EU, said Ankara would respond to last month's setback by "accelerating" reforms so that it was ready to join the EU when the political climate changed.
Mr Bozkir told the Financial Times that Ankara had taken the latest blow to its accession prospects in a "calm and professional way". He said: "It shows Turkey wants to maintain its relationship with the EU.
"It would have been easy for Turkey to react strongly and to freeze part of its relationship or to express some kind of broken-heartedpsychology."
In December, the EU suspended membership talks in eight policy areas because of Turkey's refusal to open its ports to Cyprus - an EU member since 2004 - whose Greek Cypriot government Ankara refuses to recognise.
Last week, Abdullah Gul, Turkey's foreign minister, convened more than 150 senior officials from different government departments to order them to draw up detailed legislative plans to prepare the country for EU membership.
Mr Bozkir said legislative plans for the years up until 2013 would be submitted by the end of January and would then be prioritised, with the aim of bringing the country's laws and norms up to EU standards.
The plan would cover 32 outstanding subject areas of the membership negotiations, including the eight frozen last month. He hoped preparatory work would be almost complete when the EU finally decided to open detailed talks.
Recognising the risk of political deadlock with elections in Turkey this year and in Cyprus in 2008, he said: "We will use this dangerous period - this year and next year - so that we do not allow precious time to be lost."
But Mr Bozkir said there would be no amendments to Article 301 of the penal code - which makes it a crime to insult Turkey or its officials - before this year's elections. He said courts needed to build up jurisprudence to defend freedom of speech, which would be more effective than changing the law.
Olli Rehn, EU enlargement commissioner, said: "We certainly welcome Turkey's decision to pursue the reforms on the ground, although the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
"But overall this is a positive initiative, which shows they are doing these reforms for the sake of the citizens of Turkey, not just because of the EU."
Mr Bozkir said Ankara expected the EU to show good will in return by opening negotiations on several subject areas - or chapters - during the German presidency of the EU.
Some EU officials believe the chapter covering enterprise and industry could be opened by March.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007