EU warns Turkey DTP to make certain distinction from PKK

Hannes Swoboda, vice-chairman of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs, has said that they always warned representatives of the Democratic Society Party (DTP) that they should make a certain distinction between the Kurdish issue and terrorism, do something tangible for their own people and keep their distance with Abdullah Ocalan, head of the PKK."

Kınıklıoğlu in running for EU chief negotiator post

Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputy Suat Kınıklıoğlu has emerged as a top candidate for the role of Turkey’s new chief negotiator in accession talks with the European Union, an appointment expected to bring new momentum to the country’s stalled membership process."

Interview: EU considers ‘safeguards’ for Turkish workers

Cultural resistance and fear of integrating a large Muslim minority are leading Brussels to consider imposing restrictions on the free movement of Turkish workers when the country eventually joins the EU, Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn told EurActiv in an exclusive interview.

Faltering EU deal strengthens Islam

WASHINGTON – Turkey’s bid for eventual European Union membership is likely to fail and this will further boost Islamist and nationalist tendencies already strong in the society."

TIME: Europe’s Road Ahead – Turkey’s Plays important part – by Michael Elliott

By A-News

For the complete report from TIME click on this link

Europe’s Road Ahead – Turkey’s Plays important part – by Michael Elliott

In the case of Turkey, the question for Europe is not, as with Russia, how to avoid a dangerous rivalry. It is, rather, how to institutionalize relations with Turkey so that it can be Europe’s partner in a dangerous neighborhood. At a recent World Economic Forum conference in Istanbul, I was struck both by how creative Turkish diplomacy now is in the whole ring of instability to its east and south, from Armenia right round to Syria, and how much Turks wanted to work with Europeans to extend the area of peace and economic integration which has, since the Treaty of Rome 51 years ago, steadily moved from the North Sea eastwards.

RT: Features : Turkish freedom of speech on trial for EU membership

Yes to Turkey, for Europe’s sake

By Patrick Seale, Special to Gulf News
Published: November 20, 2008, 23:35

Michel Rocard, a towering figure of the French left, has emerged as an eloquent and powerful advocate of Turkey’s membership of the European Union. He has thus thrown down the gauntlet to President Nicolas Sarkozy, who has made no secret of his diehard opposition to Turkish membership."

Three Misconceptions in Turkey about the EU

By Internation Musing

1) Turkey never applied for full EU membership before 1987. Turkey first applied, together with Greece, for associate membership in the European Economic Community in 1959, and on 12 September 1963 signed the "Agreement Creating An Association Between The Republic of Turkey and the European Economic Community", also known as the Ankara Agreement. This agreement came into effect the following year on 12 December 1964.
On 14 April 1987, Turkey submitted its application for formal membership into the European Community. The European Commission responded in December 1989 by confirming Ankara’s eventual membership but also by deferring the matter to more favorable times, citing Turkey’s economic and political situationWorld Bulletin [ Paris meeting to discuss civil socities role in Turkey’s EU bid ]

Turkey And EU Clash Over Kurd Rights

Turkey reiterates its call on Armenia to open archives on 1915 events

Obama’s presidency and its meaning for Turkey by SEVGİ AKARÇEŞME

It would not be an overstatement to argue that not only the US but also the rest of the world embraced President-elect Barack Obama’s message of hope and change.

Non-progress report

by MILLIYET RIZA TÜRMEN

The EU Commission has published its 2008 Progress Report on Turkey.  The report covers topics such as human rights and democracy, the economy, food, transportation, energy and the environment, all during the period between October 2007 and October 2008.

Un fils d’immigrés turcs, Cem Ozdemir, est élu à la tête du parti écologiste en Allemagne

by acturca

Le Monde (France), 18 novembre 2008, p. 14

Marie de Vergès

Un vent d’Amérique souffle chez les Verts allemands. Réuni en congrès à Erfurt (Centre), le parti écologiste a élu à sa tête, samedi 15 novembre, le député européen d’origine turque Cem Ozdemir. Pour ses supporters, la victoire se résumait en trois mots : ” Yes we Cem ! “ , en référence au célèbre slogan de Barack Obama. C’est la première fois, outre-Rhin, qu’une personnalité issue de l’immigration prend les rênes d’un parti politique. Il coprésidera les Verts avec Claudia Roth, reconduite samedi à la direction bicéphale.

Obama and the Armenian issue

These days Washington is a busy place. Leaders of the world are flying in and out of Andrews Air Force Base. The G-20
Summit brought the world’s leading 20 economies to Washington with the hope of structuring the post-Bretton Woods order in a concerted fashion.

Might Özdemir be the ‘Obama of the Greens’?

by YENI ŞAFAK KÜRŞAT BUMİN

The election of Cem Özdemir as co-president of the Green Party in Germany is a positive new step showing the ongoing "integration" of immigrants in Germany into the political system.

Rethinking Cyprus

The chances of finding a settlement to the Cyprus dispute have increased recently, argues writes Hugh Pope, project director of the International Crisis Group (ICG), in the autumn edition of Private View.

Sweden’s 2009 EU Presidency: Possible Policy Priorities

Sweden is likely to "spend most of its energy" on enlargement, climate change, migration and asylum and the Baltic Sea Strategy and the Eastern Partnership during its EU presidency in autumn 2009, argue Fredrik Langdal and Göran von Sydow of the Swedish Institute for European Policy Studies.

Positive Cyprus Peace Talks Continue | Nubricks

Following a series of reunification talks scheduled weekly between the leaders of the Turkish Republic of Cyprus and Greek Cyprus since September 2008, recent news indicates discussions this month continue in “a very positive atmosphere”."

The Turkish Question

From the desk of Paul Belien on Sun, 2008-11-23 14:23

Geographically Turkey is not a European state, apart from the tiny northwestern edge of the country. Last October, however, Turkey was elected for a two-year term in the United Nations security council by winning one of the two non-permanent seats set aside for European countries. While the other candidate, Austria, barely won the required two-thirds majority, Turkey won its seat hands down. In the UN, Turkey belongs to the regional group of the Western European and Others Group (WEOG)."

Atatürk’s Turkey acceptable for EU, says French professor

‘Considering Europe only as the EU is not a healthy way of thinking; the European continent consists of 47 states, including the Balkans, Turkey and the Caucasus.’ These words belong to a French professor, Olivier Vedrine, who works as a lecturer for the European Commission and is a professor at Schiller International University’s Paris campus."