Updated on
Summary Turkey's longtime goal of joining European Union seems to fade further into distance.
On Wednesday, the goal receded a little further as the EU issued a report that was scathing toward Turkeys regard for fundamental rights and freedom of expression bedrock values for any country wishing to join the European club.Turkey slammed the report, calling it a biased attempt by the crisis-burdened EU to delay Turkish membership.The EUs criticism came in a document produced by its executive branch, the European Commission, that assessed the progress and challenges facing would-be EU members. In customary EU fashion, the report said that each country had made significant accomplishments but had more work to do. The EU has long held out the lure of membership as a way of exporting its democratic values to countries that wish to benefit from its common market.Croatia, for example, is scheduled to become the next EU member the 28th on July 1, 2013.The report said Croatia had made good progress overall, but needed to follow through on increasing transparency in public procurement and party financing.But for Turkey, the goal seems to become ever more distant. The country first applied for membership in what was then called the European Economic Community in 1987. It was granted the status of an EU candidate country in 1999.But Wednesdays report offered scant hope of membership anytime soon.True to form, the EU report offered praise. Turkey is continuing to play a positive role in supporting reform movements in North Africa and the Middle East, the report said, adding that cooperation with Turkey regarding Syria, where civilians are dying in the midst of a civil war, was helpful.But then the other shoe dropped.Concerns are growing, the report said, regarding Turkeys lack of substantial progress towards fully meeting the political criteria. It cited recurring infringements of the right to liberty and security and a fair trial, as well as of the freedom of expression, assembly and association. It said there were issues regarding the independence of the judiciary, as well as further restrictions of the media freedom and a growing number of court cases against writers and journalists.Turkey, unsurprisingly, was not pleased. The government claimed the report was influenced by what Turkey believes to be Greek Cypriot bias against the country. Cyprus is already an EU member.The 2012 progress report is a reflection of the desire of the EU, which is suffering an economic and political crisis, to delay Turkeys membership through various excuses, Egemen Bagis, the minister in charge of relations with EU, said in a news conference in Istanbul.Too much emphasis was placed on isolated incidents, and dangerous generalizations were reached through these isolated incidents, Bagis said.
