Thread: Good news from Europe

It looks like French have managed to modify the official documents concerning the Turkey EU membership for the next meeting. The new formulation doesn't mention words like "membership" and "accession".

Maybe there is still a hope to keep Turkey out.

EU-BEITRITT DER TÃœRKEI
Frankreich lässt das verhasste B-Wort streichen

Frankreich will nicht mehr über einen "Beitritt" der Türkei zur Europäischen Union verhandeln - und ließ in einem EU-Gipfelpapier kurzerhand die Begriffe ersetzen. Dahinter steckt mehr als nur ein Streit um Vokabeln.

Brüssel - Wenige Tage vor dem Treffen der europäischen Staats- und Regierungschefs am Freitag in Brüssel ließ der französische Außenminister Bernard Kouchner die Bezeichnung "Beitrittskonferenz" aus einer Tischvorlage streichen. Ebenso taucht das Wort "Mitgliedschaft" im Zusammenhang mit der Türkei nicht mehr auf. Stattdessen ist in dem Text nur noch von "Regierungskonferenzen" mit der Türkei und dem Beitrittskandidaten Kroatien die Rede. Mit Blick auf Kroatien hieß es hingegen, die EU-Mitgliedschaft sei in greifbarer Nähe.

Präsident Nicolas Sarkozy lehnt einen Beitritt der Türkei entschieden ab. Mit seiner Initiative sendet er ein Signal an seine Wähler - im Wahlkampf hatte er versprochen, einen Beitritt des Landes verhindern zu wollen. Ohne die Einigung auf den abgeschwächten Gipfeltext wäre die für kommende Woche geplante Öffnung von zwei neuen Beitrittskapiteln mit der Türkei nicht möglich gewesen.

Schweden hatte sich zuletzt erfolglos gegen die Namensänderung gewehrt. Der schwedische Außenminister Carl Bildt sprach in Brüssel von einem "Schritt rückwärts". Die Bundesregierung ist ebenfalls dafür, den Beitrittsprozess ergebnisoffen fortzusetzen. Die Koalitionsparteien sind über das Thema aber gespalten: Die SPD ist für eine Aufnahme der Türkei in die EU, die CDU will nur eine "privilegierte Partnerschaft".

Der türkische Vize-Regierungschef Cemil Cicek sagte, nicht alle Hoffnungen der Türkei und die Entwicklung des Landes hingen von der EU ab. Die Türkei solle sich aber weiter um einen Beitritt bemühen. "Wir werden der EU nicht wegen einer Erklärung den Rücken kehren."

Die im Oktober 2005 begonnenen Beitrittsverhandlungen mit der Türkei sind ins Stocken geraten. Bisher sind erst vier der insgesamt 35 Kapitel mit der Türkei eröffnet. Acht weitere liegen auf Eis. Grund ist neben dem französischen Widerstand die Weigerung Ankaras, Häfen und Flughäfen wie von der EU verlangt für die griechische Republik Zypern zu öffnen. Dies "bedauert" die EU in ihrer Erklärung.

"Deutlich mehr Anstrengungen" fordern die Mitgliedsländer zudem von Ankara bei den politischen Reformen. Dies gelte insbesondere für den Kampf gegen die Korruption, Minderheitenrechte sowie die Rechte von Frauen und Kindern, heißt es in dem Kommuniqué. Auch die zivile Kontrolle des Militärs müsse gestärkt werden. Der Text basiert auf dem Fortschrittsbericht der EU-Kommission von Anfang November.

reh/AFP/Reuters


http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0 ... 27,00.html

Could you translate that for those of us who are linguistically challenged???

'Canned' online translation via AltaVista:

(http://babelfish.altavista.com )

EUROPEAN UNION ENTRY of TURKEY France lets the hated b-word paint France does not want to negotiate no more about a "entry" of Turkey to the European union - and let in an European Union summit paper short hand the terms replace. Behind it is more than only one controversy over Vokabeln. Brussels - on Friday in Brussels the French minister of foreign affairs Berne pool of broadcasting corporations Kouchner the designation "conference of entry" let few days before the meeting of the European state and heads of the government paint from a desk-top copy. Likewise the word "membership" does not emerge in connection with Turkey. Instead Croatia is the speech in the text only of "diplomatic conferences" with Turkey and the entry candidate. With view of Croatia it meant however, the European Union membership was within easy reach. President Nicolas Sarkozy leans an entry of Turkey decided off. With its initiative it sends a signal at its voters - in the election campaign it had promised to want to prevent an entry of the country. Without the agreement on the weakened summit text for coming week the planned opening of two new entry chapters with Turkey would not have been possible. Sweden had resisted last unsuccessfully the change of name. The Swedish minister of foreign affairs Carl Bildt spoke in Brussels of a "step backwards". The Federal Government is likewise to continue the entry process result open. The coalition parties are however split over the topic: The SPD is for an admission of Turkey into the European Union, the CDU wants only a "privileged partnership". The Turkish vice-head of the government Cemil Cicek said, not all hopes of Turkey and the development of the country depended on the European Union. Turkey is to strive however further for an entry. "we will not turn the European Union because of an explanation the back." In October 2005 the negotiations of accession begun with Turkey are guessed/advised in coming to a hold. So far only four are open to that altogether 35 chapters with Turkey. Eight further lie on ice reason are apart from the French resistance the refusal Ankaras to open ports and airports as required of the European Union for the Greek Republic of Cyprus. This "regrets" the European Union in its explanation. "clear more efforts" demand the member countries besides from Ankara with the political reforms. This applies in particular to the fight against the corruption, minority rights as well as the rights of women and children, is called it in the Kommuniqué. Also civilian control of the military must be strengthened. The text is based on the progress report of the European Union commission of at the beginning of November.

PinestrawGuys, I'm sorry for that but I didn't found anything in English a was about to go sleep yesterday.

Here is the news in English:

France scores symbolic victory against Turkish EU membership
11.12.2007 - 09:26 CET | By Honor Mahony
France has scored a symbolic victory in its battle against Turkey joining the European Union by succeeding in removing the word 'accession' from an EU document on the state of negotiations.

A statement on the EU's enlargement strategy, agreed by foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday (11 December), refers only to an intergovernmental conference with Turkey and Croatia later this month, rather than to accession or membership negotiations.

The normal phrasing for these meeting to discuss progress on membership negotiations is "accession conferences."

But France, strongly opposed to Turkey joining the EU, got its way yesterday after putting diplomatic pressure on for around two weeks before the meeting.

Britain and Sweden were amongst the countries that were against the French move.

"We do not see any rationale for backtracking either on the Treaty of Rome or on these commitments," Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said before the meeting, according to Reuters.

French president Nicolas Sarkozy has made no secret of his staunch opposition to Ankara's membership bid.

It featured during his presidential campaign in the first half of 2007 while after his election Mr Sarkozy suggested Turkey become a member of a Mediterranean Union he wants to set up and that the EU's final borders are discussed in a wise committee - both suggestions are seen as part of an overall aim to derail Turkey's bid.

Germany is also against Turkish EU membership, but has been less vocal at the European level on the issue than France.

It prefers instead a privileged partnership - essentially granting Ankara closer ties with the EU but no decision-making powers.

Turkey opened membership talks with the EU in 2005. But it has only made small progress so far. Talks have been blocked in a number of areas because of Ankara's position on Cyprus - it refuses to trade with it - while France has blocked the opening of talks in areas that smack too much of leading to EU membership.

Turkey itself has also been slow to undertake internal democratic reforms, which has led to criticism from the EU side.

For its part, the European Commission continues to defend membership negotiations with Turkey, arguing that member states should not renege on their commitments to see through the negotiation process.

"Concerning Turkey I'm looking forward to the opening of more chapters at the accession conference next week," said EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn on Monday.

"We are working on the basis of the negotiation framework of October 2005, and the accession process continues with Turkey. It is in the EU's own interest for Turkey to continue with reforms in order to fulfil the accession criteria and to maintain its strategic orientation towards the EU."

http://euobserver.com/9/25314