"Turkey's EU Accession "Indispensable," or Have Overtures to Ankara Gone "Too Far"?
By Lucy Jones
Europe is in a state of �naked fear,� wrote Germany�s Die Welt on Dec. 1, prior to a mid-December European Union summit at which it was decided that Turkey can begin talks on accession to the body in 2005�provided it recognizes Cyprus.
The EU already has gone �too far� with its overtures to Ankara, the newspaper opined. The union will only be able to extricate itself at the cost of �considerable damage and a substantial loss of credibility,� it warned.
In economic terms, there are �major risks� attached to Turkey�s accession, Austria�s Die Presse editorialized Dec. 21. Turkey is �rather backward� economically, the newspaper said, adding that foreign investment is �hindered by a low level of security for property, corruption and a lack of competitiveness.�"
More:European Press Review