By Daniel Dombey in London and Vincent Boland in Ankara
Turkey's faltering bid to join the European Union made rare progress yesterday, when Ankara and Brussels resumed formal negotiations for the first time since the talks were partially frozen in December.
The beginning of the talks on enterprise and industrial policy was marked by a conference in Brussels attended by Ali Babacan, Turkey's chief negotiator.
It was only the second negotiating topic - or "chapter" - to be opened since Turkey's membership process began in 2005 and the first since the EU decided in December to freeze talks in eight areas because of a dispute over Cyprus.
"It is crucial to show the citizens of Turkey that the accession process is moving forward," Mr Babacan said, calling for "sustained political will on both sides".
In all, the two sides will need to conclude negotiations in 35 chapters before Turkey can become an EU member. The Commission and Germany, the holder of the rotating presidency of the EU, hope that up to three other chapters can be opened in June, in the aftermath of the French presidential election. Yesterday Frank-Walter Steinmeier, German foreign minister, proclaimed that the talks were back on track.
But expectations are low that the two sides can overcome mounting frustration with each other, spurred by EU concerns about Ankara's uneven record on domestic reform and rising anti-EU sentiment in Turkey.
Commission officials see 2007 as a year of "muddling through" ahead of Turkish elections and a Cypriot poll next year. Talks planned for coming months are on relatively "easy" topics that are neither politically sensitive nor subject to much EU law.
Even so, Commission officials worry that the possible election of Nicolas Sarkozy, the French presidential candidate, who is opposed to Turkish membership, could make progress more difficult.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007
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