ANKARA
European Union should keep in mind that Turkey represents an island of peace, democracy, security and stability amid turmoil in the region, a senior Turkish minister has said.
In a recent article written for the nonprofit organization, Project Syndicate, published Wednesday, Turkey’s EU minister Volkan Bozkir said that Turkey's eastern neighbors were full of political instability, civil war, and terrorism, while its neighbors to the west were struggling to regain their financial footing, following an economic collapse nearly on the scale of the Great Depression.
"In the midst of all this turmoil, Turkey represents an island of peace, democracy, security, and stability – something that the European Union should keep in mind when considering the current paralysis in accession talks," Bozkir said.
He also highlighted the fact that since 2009, the Turkish economy had created four million new jobs, many of which required high-skilled workers. “This has sharply reduced the gaps in the quality of health services and education, both within the country and between it, and other OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) members."
Moreover, Turkey is among the fastest-improving countries with respect to the quality of its infrastructure, including transport, telecommunications and energy. “And, during the 2008 global financial crisis, Turkey was the only OECD country that did not need to inject any public funds into its banks," he added.
Bozkir also spoke about Turkey’s Kurdish issue. "Turkey has taken bold steps that aim to achieve a peaceful settlement of the Kurdish issue, which has been a source of concern for decades. Undeniably, the EU accession process has played a role in stimulating this transformation."
He said that despite Turkey’s bold steps, the country was frequently, and unfairly, being criticized, particularly with respect to media freedom. "The Committee to Protect Journalists claims that seven journalists are in prison in Turkey. But two of them are actually free. And when the remaining five cases are examined individually, it becomes clear that not one of them has been jailed for their journalistic activities or for expressing dissenting views."
Bozkir said Turkey was a key country for the EU in terms of securing stability and prosperity in its immediate neighborhood. "Yet accession negotiations between Turkey and the EU have been deadlocked, owing to prevailing political attitudes in some EU member states," he added.
"It would be a wise step for Turkey’s European friends to facilitate the accession process. At the end of the day, Turkey’s prospective membership will change the dynamics of the EU and the region for the better," he said.
After signing a partnership agreement with the European Economic Community in 1963, Turkey applied for EU membership in 1987 and accession talks began in 2005.
To gain membership, Turkey must successfully conclude negotiations with the EU in 35 policy chapters, which include reforms and adoption of European standards.
So far, 14 chapters have been opened, while 17 remain blocked and another four have yet to be discussed.
Bozkir visited Brussels on March 20 to pave the way towards opening Chapter 17 on economic and monetary policies. He also called for the opening of Chapter 15 on energy.
