Thursday, May 25, 2006

EurasiaNet Eurasia Insight - Turkey Battles Bout of EU Reform Fatigue

"TURKEY BATTLES BOUT OF EU REFORM FATIGUE
Yigal Schleifer 5/25/06

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Though Turkey is continuing with preparations for the start of accession negotiations with the European Union, some troubling developments in recent months have prompted European diplomats and local observers to question the country’s determination to enact and adhere to EU-related reforms.

'Watching it from Ankara, there’s a sense that the political will in Ankara is not as strong as it was, if there’s any left at all, to invest in this process with Europe,' says a diplomat from an EU country, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.

'There’s a perception among international observers in Ankara that the initiatives that they [Turkish officials] are still announcing, and the commitment to the EU process that they are still professing is less convincing because its not being reflected by their actions,' the diplomat added."

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