EU Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Füle has urged both the European Union and Turkey to make every effort for the tentative new momentum to become a reality and to sustain such momentum through concrete steps.
Füle said in a letter sent to Today's Zaman that all the elements are in place to create this new energy in EU-Turkey relations, long stagnant due to the opposition of Greek Cyprus and France.
Füle stressed that considering Turkey's dynamic economy, its strategic location and its important regional role which contributes to the EU's foreign policy and energy security, Turkey is a key country for the EU.
He added that Turkey is already integrated to a large extent into the EU through the Customs Union and has become a valuable component of Europe's competitiveness. Conversely, he noted, the EU block remains the key anchor for Turkey's economic and political modernization and that both sides would benefit from further development of these links.
Füle argued that the potential of the EU-Turkey relationship can be fully tapped only within the framework of an active and credible accession process and that process remains the most suitable framework for promoting EU-related reforms, developing dialogue on foreign and security policy issues, strengthening economic competitiveness and increasing cooperation in the fields of energy and justice and home affairs.
"This process must respect the EU's commitments and the established conditions," he added.
Füle said that given Turkey's further development as a potential energy hub and the common challenges it shares with the EU, the EU Commission and Turkey also decided to enhance their cooperation on a number of important energy issues.
According to Füle, the political dialogue with the EU on foreign and security policy intensified significantly and that developments in Turkey's and the EU's joint neighborhood confirmed the important role and valuable contribution of Turkey to the EU's foreign policy and energy security.
Martin Schulz, the President of European Parliament, also voiced similar remarks on Tuesday, in an opinion piece he wrote for Today's Zaman. He warned Turkey against abandoning the EU path, saying that the sponsors of this view are both naïve and short-termist.
"They are naïve because they fail to recognize the extent to which the EU and its member states have contributed to Turkey's success today: Whether through access to its market, through direct investment, through the sharing of expertise, improvement in the regulatory framework or simply tourism, the EU has been one of the major sources of stability and growth in the country," the president said.
He said if Turkey wants to join a community of values, an area where the rule of law and human rights enjoy the highest standard in the world and a political project that has turned foes into friends, then the EU doors remain as open as ever.