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Turkey's PM travels to Brussels to bolster EU bid
Published in Saudi Press Agency on 18 - 01 - 2009


Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip
Erdogan flies to Brussels on Sunday for a visit aimed at
boosting the Muslim country's troubled bid for European Union
accession, reported reuters.
Erdogan's trip, his first to Brussels in four years, comes
as Ankara faces EU pressure to speed up reforms in a decisive
year, and amid questions over its commitment.
EU officials say privately that Turkey, which began
accession talks in 2005, may face a deadlock if progress is not
made this year, while analysts warn that trust is ebbing away
and that the two sides must rebuild momentum.
"2009 is a decisive year. The political commitment has to be
very clear this year," said Hugh Pope, an analyst from the
International Crisis Group.
Turks accuse Europeans of double standards and polls show
support for the EU is dwindling as nationalism rises.
EU states, likewise, are divided about accepting Turkey.
Powerful states such as France and Germany are not keen to
see Turkey join the bloc, questioning the European credentials
of the poor, Muslim country of 70 million people.
Erdogan will be accompanied during his three-day visit by
Egemen Bagis, Turkey's first full-time EU negotiator, whose
appointment last week was seen as a sign that Ankara might be
willing to push long-delayed reforms.
But Erdogan, who has been criticised for his lack of
presence on the European scene, will also face an increasingly
sceptical Europe over Ankara's commitment when he meets European
Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and other EU leaders.
The EU wants Ankara to reform its constitution, improve free
speech, grant more rights to minorities and curb the power of
the army. Turkey has pledged many times that it is determined to
complete talks, but Brussels wants deeds, not words.


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