Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 16
By Anakhanum Khidayatova - Trend:
The European Union can't and won't predict what might change in relations with Turkey after parliamentary election, EU's Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Maja Kocijancic exclusively told Trend Oct. 16.
"We look forward to continue our cooperation with the future Turkish government and we stand ready to assist Turkey," she said.
Kocijancic, responding to Trend's question on how she assesses the progress in talks for Turkey's EU accession, said the progress made by Turkey on its EU path will be assessed in the upcoming annual Progress Report on Turkey, which usually comes out this time of the year.
"Turkey and the EU are key partners and strategic allies in our region," Kocijancic quoted EU's High Representative Federica Mogherini as saying at the last EU-Turkey Association Council.
"Accession negotiations remain the cornerstone of EU-Turkey relations," Mogherini said at the association council.
Earlier, Turkey's former prime minister and the incumbent president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that "the EU continues to mislead Turkey [on accession issue], and such a situation is upsetting."
Prior to that, Turkey's former deputy prime minister, Bulent Arinc said that if previously 75 percent of Turkey's population supported the country's accession to the EU, currently, this figure stands at 20 percent.
Turkey has fulfilled 65 percent of its commitments to the EU for accession to this organization.
Earlier, the country's former minister for EU affairs, Volkan Bozkir said the negotiations between Turkey and EU can't continue in the format required by the organization. He said at the time that democracy in Turkey is at a higher level than in some European countries.
Ankara submitted its EU membership application in 1987, and negotiations on accession started only in 2005.
Turkey will hold the parliamentary election on November 1.