Filenews 19 June 2021 - by Andreas Pibisis
Turkey accepts nothing less than full membership of the European Union. This message is being sent by Ankara to the EU 27 ahead of next Thursday's European Council, during which decisions on Turkish accession are expected to be taken. The Turkish list of requests includes modernising the Customs Union and abolishing visas.
The Turkish Foreign Minister yesterday discussed the full range of Euro-Turkish issues with the High Representative of the European Union. The meeting between Mevlut Tsavousoglu and Josep Borrell took place at an international meeting held in Antalya, Turkey.
In a tweet, Mevlut Tsavousoglu said he and Josep Borrell discussed relations between Turkey and the European Union, in particular the issues of modernising the Customs Union, immigration and the abolition of visas. According to diplomatic sources, at the meeting the EU High Representative had told Nicosia that he would also raise the issue of Famagusta during the debate. The Cypriot side will wait until Monday, when foreign minister Nikos Christodoulides will be briefed by Josep Borrell at the Foreign Affairs Council.
Turkey, trying to break the economic impasse and without being able to hope for the support of the Americans, has put all its weight behind the European Union, from which it hopes for a positive agenda at the forthcoming European Council. A development that Ankara estimates will reopen the way for the conclusion of accession negotiations.
In a statement, Hurriyet (a GIP source) wrote that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has argued that despite the injustices he has faced, Turkey wants its fight for full EU membership, which it has been persistently and patiently calling for for half a century, to be completed as soon as possible.
Erdogan made these statements at the start of the Summit of Heads of State or Government of the Process for Cooperation of Southeast European Countries in Antalya.
"In order to build an environment of peace and stability in South-Eastern Europe on solid foundations, we have launched the Summit of the Countries of South-Eastern Europe. This year we are celebrating its 25th anniversary," he said, adding that the process was aimed beyond strengthening cooperation and security between the parties and strengthening cooperation in areas such as democracy, justice and the fight against illegal activities.
"As Turkey, we have adopted these principles as our guide to the studies conducted during our tenure. The EU's decision to start accession negotiations with Skopje and Tirana is a step in the right direction," he said, adding: "Despite all the injustices we have faced, we want to complete the full accession negotiation, which we have continued persistently for half a century."
He also argued that Turkey is one of Europe's most important energy partners and concluded by saying that the TANAP pipeline "enhances the energy security of Southeast Europe as well as the rest of Europe".
Yesterday, speaking at the Antalya forum, the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, spoke about energy and the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean. Continuing from where he left off during his recent trip to Brussels, he once again projected a "pacifist image". According to Turkish newspaper Hurriyet, Erdogan said it was up to all parties involved to get involved so that energy reserves in the Eastern Mediterranean "lead to co-operation, not confrontation." The paper also reports that "this year Turkey and Greece reiterated their dialogue to resolve bilateral disputes in the Aegean and Mediterranean". It further notes that the demands of Greece and the Greek Cypriots (as it characterizes the Republic of Cyprus) violate the sovereign rights of Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots.
Erdogan in his speech criticized the United Nations Security Council, questioning the ability of the five permanent members to represent the rights of all countries and peoples. A position linked to Erdogan's goal of making Turkey a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
The Antalya forum is home to both Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar and the so-called "foreign minister" of the occupying regime, Tachsin Ertugluglu.
