Italy Min.: Halt of Turkey-EU accession talks a 'mistake'

ROME

An Italian minister said Sunday that certain countries’ decision to stop the progress of EU-Turkey accession talks years before has been a “historic mistake”.

Italian Defense Minister Roberta Pinotti speaking to SKYTG 24 TV on Sunday said: “France and Germany’s decision to stall [accession negotiations], at a time when Turkey was willing to join the EU, was a historic mistake.”

She said that the suspension of Turkey’s EU accession process and the lack of dialogue with Ankara have made current issues more difficult.

Pinotti said that Sunday’s EU-Turkey summit held in Brussels was an opportunity to make progress in accession negotiations.

“Now we have to ask ourselves: is Europe more interested in establishing a dialogue [with Turkey] or, as the relations have become more difficult [does Europe] wants to close that issue with Turkey?” she said.

Turkey aspires to join the EU since about half a century. Ankara began substantial accession negotiations in October 2005.

But, two years later, Nicolas Sarkozy won the French presidential election and, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry’s website, Paris declared that it would not allow the opening of negotiations of five chapters because they were considered directly related with membership.

France "lifted its blocking of chapter 22 in February 2013,” says the website.

Separately, the Greek Cypriot administration unilaterally stated in 2009 that it would block certain chapters.

Speaking ahead of the EU-Turkey summit on Sunday, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the meeting with EU heads of government will “re-energize” EU accession talks.

EU heads of government have sought Turkey’s help to stem the flow of refugees into Europe.

The EU has agreed to implement visa-free travel for Turks if Ankara meets certain criteria specified in an agreed roadmap.