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EU Already Only Choice of Turkey

Politics Materials 4 November 2008 20:37 (UTC +04:00)

Azerbaijan, Baku, 4 November / Trend , corr. B.Hasanov /The membership in the European Union is very significant for Turkey, however the membership in the international organization is not the only choice of Turkey.

"Turkey holds multy vectorial foreign policy, and development of relations with the Middle East, Caucasus, Turkisc world with whom it has important religious, language, cultural and historical relations, has significantly reduced Turkey's dependance from EU," Deniz Altinbash, an expert of the European Strategic Intelligence Centre on Europe, told Trend via a telephone.

On 5 November, EU officially announced the report on Turkey. There are positive opinions regarding the foreign policy of Turkey in the report, however it says about delay in legal reforms.

The ties and cooperation between Turkey and EU were launched after signing of Ankara agreement in 1964.

The agreement envisaged to develop the trade and economic relations between the both countries, as well as to make necessary steps related Turkey's membership in the organization. In 1971, EU cancelled customs duties on imported commodities fro Turkey. In 1980, the relations between Turkey and EU after the state revolution, which was committed by Turkish army, were frozen until 1986. Despite of the development of relations between the sides in the future, EU postponed the discussions on Turkey's membership in the organization in 1989 and 1997. In 1996, Turkey cancelled the customs taxes on imported commodities from EU and insisted on membership. EU stated that it will take into account the implementation of Copenhagen criteria in 2002 as a ground in the Turkey's membership issue. Later, Turkey started carrying out serious legal, political and economic reforms. In the last few years, Turkey strengthens its relations with countries in the region in order to bring the possible EU manipulation to zero.

Altinbash considers that today Turkey has the alternative policy against the red tape policy of the European Union with respect to Turkey. "Today's level of Turkey's relations with the countries of region makes it possible turn face to the East," said Altinbash.

The expert of the SETA Center for Strategic Studies in Ankara, Talip Kuchukjan, also said that Turkey does not depend on the European Union. "Today one of the basic directions of Turkey's foreign policy is the construction of problem-free relations with the neighboring states, and today's level of political and economic relations with these countries is sufficient for Turkey's independent policy in the region," Kuchukjan told Trend by telephone from Ankara.

The expert of the International Crisis Group for Turkey, Hug Poup, considers that regional foreign policy of Turkey was very clever and interesting in recent years, however, the European Union is the most advantageous version for Turkey. "It is difficult for Turkey to create any political and economic bloc, and therefore, to become EU member is more profitable for Turkey," said Poup said by telephone from Istanbul. The expert said that some forces in the EU attempt to prevent Turkey from becoming the member of this international organization, and they attempt to remove the stimuli of Ankara.

Poup considers that if Turkey turns away from the EU, this will bring harms to its image amongst the Islamic countries. "Turkey is the first Muslim country, which holds equal discussions with the European states, and failure in these discussions will lead to Turkey's description as the losing country by the Muslim countries, and it will negatively affect its image," said Poup.

The European Union periodically prepares reports, which reflect the relations of Ankara with this international organization and the level of the reforms conducted in Turkey. The next report is expected to be announced on 5 November.

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