Turkey 'should restart EU talks'
Turkey's EU accession talks had stalled in December 2006
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Tuesday, 06, Nov 2007 05:42
Turkey's controversial entry into the European Union should be revitalised in 2008, an EU strategy paper has concluded.
The European Commission has approved its annual enlargement policy, which states that Turkey must make a renewed effort to advance its accession negotiations after this year's political crisis.
Earlier this year prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's party struggled to ensure Abdullah Gul became the country's president and only succeeded after a fresh round of general elections.
"In Turkey democracy prevailed over the political crisis. The new momentum should now be used to relaunch the reforms to improve fundamental freedoms, particularly the freedom of expression and religious freedom, so that they prevail in all corners of the country and in all walks of life," the European Commission's enlargement commissioner, Olli Rehn, said.
The strategy report also noted that Balkan states like Serbia, Albania and Montenegro are making "steady but uneven progress" towards joining the EU.
It recognised a number of problems remain in the region, including the unresolved Kosovo question, state-building issues in Bosnia and Herzegovina and democratic development in Serbia.
But despite these "major challenges", Mr Rehn remained optimistic about their prospects for advancement into the EU.
"I expect that in 2008 conditions will be fulfilled and thus we will be able to complete stabilisation and association agreements with all countries in the region," he said.