Europe and Turkey: Still Talking?
As usual, the European Commission's progress report on Turkey and the associated – and politically more significant – ‘strategy paper’, both published yesterday (16 October), are a mix of positive and negative marks. Turkey is reprimanded for the excessive use of force during the Gezi protests and the deteriorating press freedoms, but is also commended for launching a peace process with its Kurdish autonomist movement. While Turkey is no closer to joining the EU now than it was a year ago, negotiations will resume. The EU had already agreed to open a new chapter (Chapter 22, on regional policy) when the Gezi protests began in May. The EU postponed the talks to signal its profound unhappiness at Turkey’s reaction to its comments on the protests. Now that it has shown its discontent, the EU has good reason to open this chapter, as its content relates directly to the regionalisation and decentralisation aspects of Turkey’s negotiations with its Kurdish minority. There is also a...