BERLIN (AA) - Germany has welcomed the European Commission’s Progress Report on Turkey and signaled that a date for opening the next chapter in accession talks can be determined next week, depending on the consultations.
“In its current progress report, the European Commission takes a differentiated look into the developments in Turkey. Both, deficits and progress are presented,” a spokesman of the German Foreign Office told Anadolu Agency on Wednesday.
“In the light of this report we will have an exchange with our EU partners at the next Council in Luxemburg on a possible date for an accession conference with Turkey,” German diplomat said.
The next EU General Affairs Council meeting will gather on October 22 in Luxembourg. Before the General Affairs Council meeting, later this week, the EU's Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) is expected to discuss Turkey’s EU accession talks.
German sources are underlining that no decision has been taken yet and much would depend on the consultations following the close examination of the Progress Report.
EU foreign minister agreed last June to open the Chapter 22 in Turkey’s membership talks but delayed the formal opening of this chapter, largely due to the disagreements with Ankara in the aftermath of the Gezi Park protests.
Opening of a new chapter in membership talks would be an important step to revive Turkey’s stalled EU membership process.
As a candidate country Turkey has to successfully conclude negotiations in 35 policy chapters, which foresee reforms and adoption of European standards, in various policy areas. Chapter 22 is covering “Regional Policy and Coordination of Structural Instruments”.
Since 2005, Turkey has started negotiations on 13 chapters. No new chapters have been opened in the past three years, mainly due to the Cyprus problem and the blockage by former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who opposed Turkey's EU membership.
