Survey: Brussels journalists expect Turkey to join EU

Most journalists accredited to the European Commission believe Turkey will eventually become a member of the EU, with a narrow majority identifying 2016-19 as the most likely accession period, a new survey has found.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan will meet with senior European Union officials in Brussels Tuesday to discuss the reforms Ankara plans to introduce as part of Turkey's EU membership bid, the...

Can Ankara become Helsinki?

Sylvia TİRYAKİ

Real patriots would abolish 301 at once

Mehmet Ali Birand

Erdoğan overshadowed Hughes in public relations

Çınar KİPER

Now Hans is pissed off:

Turkey: forget the EU!

by Hans A.H.C. de Wit

While Turkey is saying that they continue sufficiently fulfilling the Copenhagen political criteria, they think that they are honest and sincerely while in the meantime they are lying like no one's business. That Turkey and their ridiculous bourgeois press (hello, we live in 2007, not 1957) are criticizing everything what is going one in Europe (why should you criticise all the time future co-members even before being a member) makes it more interesting. It looks like that they think: 'as long as we make noise and scream at them, in the end they will listen". For sure they will listen and react accordingly.

[MONDAY TALK] Yazıcı: Women's concerns addressed in draft constitution

by YONCA POYRAZ DOĞAN

‘We repeated the 2004 addition made into the current constitution: Men and women have equal rights. The state shall have the obligation to ensure that this equality exists in practice. … because of the controversy, we worked on the draft more and handled women’s rights separately than elderly, handicapped and children’s rights’.

Ambassador Asp: Sweden supports Turkey's full EU membership

by AYŞE KARABAT

Swedish Ambassador to Turkey Christer Asp, who has spent most of his career dealing with EU matters, says that for a Swedish diplomat Turkey is the perfect place to be.

Cyprus: two democracies, two states, two languages and two religions

It is a crystal-clear fact on the island of Cyprus that there have been "two peoples and two religions" for the past half of a millennium. In addition to this, "two states and two governments" have existed for the past half century, since Dec. 21, 1963.

Time for KKTC to open further offices in Middle East

The historic meeting between Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas took place in the Turkish capital of Ankara a few days ago.

Time for wisdom

In the past, Americans and Europeans often asked whether Turkey had any realistic alternatives to the West, and they would complacently reassure themselves that it did not.

The magnificent 7 (+20)

It's the start of the third reel and the situation is pretty grim. Turkey's champions have left the field and whatever hope it might have once had of ever entering the promised land of the European Union has all but disappeared.

The Netherlands’ dowry

Immigrants’ lack of integration into the countries in which they live is one of Europe’s main concerns. There are diverging and contradicting perceptions about the issues of immigration and integration.

Privilege to commit a crime

by EMİN PAZARCI, BUGÜN

I bet there is nowhere in the world that has such inconsistent intellectuals as Turkey.

Constitution as a decision

by YASİN AKTAY, YENİ ŞAFAK

The best way to prepare a new constitution is to shape it in the tone of a contract with the participation of citizens from all walks of life.

Regulation on former generals draws ire

A recent Defense Ministry change made to a Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) bylaw that calls for sanctions on former officers, such as being barred from entering social facilities owned by the military if they reveal information about their time in the military, has drawn a great deal of criticism for depriving the public of nearly their only source of information about the military’s actions.

Article 301, the EU and Turkey

by ESER KARAKAŞ, STAR

I wish Turkey could cover significant distance in finding a solution to problems triggered by Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) through its own legal and political dynamics without the intervention of the European Commission.

Unfortunately it is all true

by OKAY GÖNENSİN, VATAN

Many circles commented on the draft progress report on Turkey released by the European Commission. They elaborated on some details and expressions.

Article 301 and its interpretation

by ERGUN BABAHAN, SABAH

The government had responded to criticism directed at Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) by saying: “Just wait and see its implementation.” We all witnessed its implementation.

Article 301 of Turkish penal code remains a sticking point in EU accession talks

The European Union has urged Turkey to improve human rights to meet membership criteria in the publication of its progress report today.

Un respiro para Turquía (y 2)

by Francisco Veiga

Mustafa Akyol: Turkey's European Front

[Originally published in The Wall Street Journal] ISTANBUL — Last month, all eyes were on Turkey's struggle against the resurgent PKK. While a massive incursion into Kurdish Iraq to smoke out the terrorist "Kurdistan Workers Party" seems to be off the table for now, news came from another front Turks seem to have ignored for a while — Europe.

"EU-Turkey membership talks to move a step further in December

Andrew Finkel The magnificent 7 (+20)