EU Commissioner for Enlargement to visit Turkey July 11-13

PanARMENIAN.Net - EU Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Füle will visit Turkey on July 11-13 in order to have talks with the new government.

Füle, who wants to revive the stalled negotiations between the two parties, will focus on the chapters and additional protocol, Today’s Zaman reported.

According to top EU officials, the EU's negotiation process with Turkey and the Additional Protocol of the Ankara Agreement, which urges Turkey to open its air and sea ports to the Greek Cypriots, will be the two main items on Füle's agenda.

One top EU official said that there is an expectation in EU circles for Turkey to make some gesture regarding the implementation of the Additional Protocol. “If Turkey makes a gesture by opening its ports to the Greek Cypriots, then this will send shockwaves across Europe and the chapters which are being blocked would easily be opened for negotiations,” the top official said.

The negotiations, which started in 2005, have come to a halt, especially in the last year. No new chapter was able to be opened, neither during the term presidency of Belgium nor during that of Hungary, whose term ended on June 30.

The EU holds Turkey responsible for the Competition Policy Chapter not to being able to be opened, while Turkey blames the European Commission for having made “excessive requests” to the country.

During Füle's official talks in Ankara the re-acceptance protocol regarding illegal immigration and Turkey's request of visa exemption are also expected to be among the items to be reviewed. Recent developments in countries such as Libya, Syria and Egypt will also be discussed.