Helene Flautre: How the EU Has Impeded Judicial Reform
Helen Flautre, Co-Chairwoman of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee
Assessing the status of accession negotiations in an op/ed published in Today’s Zaman, Helene Flautre strongly criticizes the European Council’s failure to release the results of the European Commission’s screening of Turkey’s judiciary, which contains the details of steps Turkey needs to take to align its judiciary with EU standards laid out in the the EU acquis’ chapter on the judiciary. Justice Minister Sadullah Erin criticized the EU’s inaction when he spoke before the European Parliament last month. From Flautre’s column:
Roadblocks to Judicial Reform
Prime Minister Erdogan announced last Sunday that the contents of the mini-democracy reform package will be released to the public and introduced to parliament by the end of the month. The prime minister presented the package as in line with the EU harmonization process, arguing the reforms are necessary to secure Turkish accession. He also said the Turkish public should get used to referenda, re-stating the AKP’s plans to take the package to a public vote once it is voted down in parliament.
European Court of Auditors Assesses Pre-Accession Monies
This is past due in terms of posting, but it is relevant to EU accession monies finding their way to Turkey through the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) (2007-2013) and the Turkish Pre-Accession Assistance (TPA) (2000-2006) monies. On January 13, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) released a report on both pre-accession assistance schemes. From EurActiv.com:
Today’s Zaman
No doubt ?Brussels? is closely monitoring the ?Ergenekon? probe and the ongoing trials. The European Commission and the European Parliament made mention of
ECHR Rules on Greek Cypriot Property Claims
from Turkish Politics in Action by Ragan Updegraff
Turkey’s Nuclear Iran Problem
The German Marshall Fund has just posted a new briefing by its astute Turkey analyst, Ian Lesser, about the difficult choices Ankara will have to make regarding the possibility of Iran developing nuclear weapons. From his piece:
What?s really behind Foreign Policy?s coup ?argument?? by EMRE USLU
Foreign Policy (FP) is one of the few respected journals that covers political issues from around the world. On Feb. 25, FP published an ?argument? on Turkey, ?What?s Really Behind Turkey?s Coup Arrests?? by Soner Çağaptay that claims to unveil the truth behind Turkey?s coup arrests.The crisis in Turkey? by JOHN L. ESPOSITO
INTERVIEW WITH DR. HATICE YAZGAN ON PUBLIC OPINION&TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY
Dr. Hatice Yazgan has been working on Turkey-EU relations, EU Policy making and some EU policies for nearly 10 years both as an EU expert and academic. She is PhD graduate of Ankara University, Faculty of Political Science, Department of International Relations. She is also a member of the Scientific Research Project team on ?Public Opinion and Turkish Foreign Policy? conducted by ATAUM which you can find some details below.
(Research team is headed by Ataum Director Prof. Çağrı Erhan and the other members are Erhan Akdemir and Utku Kırlıdökme.)
The AKP Will Remain a Western Ally
Why the U.S. should hail the Islamists.
The coming of Ten
Ten economies are becoming the new locomotive for the global economy By Martin Walker Senior Director of A.T. Kearney?s Global Business Policy Council.
TÜSEV’s Cengiz Looks at Associations Law
Orhan Kemal Cengiz
PHOTO from Today’s Zaman
The Third Sector Foundation of Turkey (TÜSEV)’s Orhan Kemal Cengiz has authored a report on the continued difficulties faced by associations as a result of the Associations Law. Despite a drastic overhaul of the law in 2004 at the height of the EU-inspired reform process, significant hurdles continue to encumber the opening, operation, and efficacy of civil society organizations in Turkey. From Today’s Zaman:
INTERVIEW WITH DR. MARIA RUXANDRA STOICESCU ON TURKEY?S LIMINALITY
Dr. Maria Ruxandra Stoicescu ? independent consultant and researcher based in Geneva, Switzerland. Graduated
from the Graduate Institute of International Studies and Development. PhD thesis: ?Liminality in International Relations. A discursive analysis of three cases: Romania,Turkey, Ukraine?. Radio Segment on World Radio Switzerland, International Relations Uncovered.
CHANGINGTURKEY: Could you tell us a bit about your recent/forthcoming publications dealing with Turkey? We would be particularly happy to hear about your new article ?Representing Liminality: Images, Metaphors and Subject Positions?.
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