MILAN
Turkey describes its European Union accession bid as "a strategic choice," and says it is committed to become the first Muslim member of the 27-member club but the country's EU affairs minister warns that Turks have dramatically grown less eager to join in.
"Turkish people are very angry with the EU because they think the Union is practicing double standards on Turkey. Public support has plunged to 30 percent from 80 percent in 2004," Egemen Bagis told Tuesday a conference in Italy, on "Turkey as an emerging regional power: Challenges and Opportunities," at the International Political Studies Institute in Milan.
Bagis cited strict visa policy on Turks as one reason to the diminishing confidence they have in the EU, saying, "even Brazilian citizens can travel freely in the Union without a Schengen visa while nationals of a candidate country are denied the same right."
Turks are also furious over the terrorist PKK's financial sources in Europe, Bagis said, adding his country expected all EU members to cut off money flow to the separatist group.
"And we also expect that broadcast of television networks that work outside the boundaries of freedom of expression and incite discrimination and hatred be halted. We expect more support from EU members including Italy on this issue," he said.
The Turkish minister said the Cyprus issue was used by several EU countries to block Turkey's accession talks, adding 17 of 33 chapters in policy areas could not open due to political reasons.
Bagis said Turkey had made significant progress in expanding democratic rights and freedoms in the country through EU reforms, adding that Turkey's state broadcaster had launched a Kurdish channel and Kurdish language departments had opened in Turkish universities.
"I am not saying we are perfect. We might have some shortcomings but we are working on them. We are now better than yesterday," he said.
