"Turkey-EU relations exponentially decelerated especialy after Gezi Park protests"
JTW team held an interview with USAK Center for European Union Studies expert Mustafa Kutlay, analyzing the Gezi Park protests as regards to the Turkey-EU relations. Kutlay stated that EU’s remarks concerning the Gezi Park protests are not particularly resulted from Turkey’s stance. He stressed that this issue is linked with the fundamental rights and freedoms which are assured in the EU’s legal texts. READ MORE
Germany blocks Turkey's EU accession talks
Germany blocked the next step in the European Union's membership talks with Turkey over Ankara's crackdown on anti-government protests. Berlin blocked the decision to open a new chapter in the long-running accession talks because “there are still open questions,” Associated Press reported, referring to a diplomat from an EU nation. READ MORE
Turkish Cyprus demands deadline for peace talks, rejects ‘perpetual negotiations'
Frustrated by decades of unfruitful negotiations between the Turkish and Greek sides to reunify the divided island of Cyprus, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) Ambassador to Turkey Mustafa Lakadamyalı has stated that there should be a definite deadline for negotiations on the divided Mediterranean island, adding that the talks cannot go on forever. READ MORE
Minister: Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey must work to attract cargo for Baku-Tbilisi-Kars
Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey must work to attract cargo to be transported through the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway, which is under construction, the Minister of Economic Development of Azerbaijan Shahin Mustafayev said during a speech at the trilateral Azerbaijani-Georgian-Turkish business forum in Gabala on Saturday. READ MORE
The Equation in Turkey-EU-USA Relations
There are opinions, suggestions and discussions on the fact that 2013 has been and should be a crucial in terms of Turkey-EU relations. New era is regarded as a new opportunity to revitalize relations between Turkey and the EU which have been stable for a long period of time. Public opinion, based on both the transfer of the helm of EU term-presidency from Greek Cypriots to Ireland and leader change in Southern Cyprus as well as the promises of some politicians such as Hollande giving green light to the opening of new negotiation chapter, is dominated by the opinion and expectation of occurrence of new parameters in relations. In this regard, furthermore, the possible revival of relations with the EU may have Turkey empowered in the face of developments in its region. The possibility of conducting this interaction in the opposite direction is of course another issue at stake. Turkey to provide a unique opportunity as being an effective partner in its region to the EU, which couldn’t play first chair in international politics as far as the desired extent, is something which may increase the glamour regarding the revival of bilateral relations. READ MORE
Turkish minister Egemen Bagis in Vilnius: Islam is European reality
Turkey's ability to have Islam and democracy coexisting together can help fight extremism in Europe where the Muslim population will continue to rise, Turkish Minister for European Union Affairs Egemen Bagis says. READ MORE
From Emotional Detachment to Rational Realism: Turkish-Israeli Relations
One could contend that Netanyahu’s phone call and apology to Prime Minister Erdoğan with regard to the Mavi Marmara tragedy, indicates the dawn of a new era in Turkish-Israeli relations. READ MORE
LITHUANIA AND TURKEY AGREED ON A CLOSER COOPERATION FOR A FURTHER PROGRESS IN THE RENEWED TALKS OVER TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP
On 3 April in Vilnius, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevičius met with the Turkish Minister for European Union Affairs and Chief negotiator Egemen Bağiş to discuss the development of bilateral relations. Both sides agreed on intensifying the cooperation concerning EU agenda during Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the EU. READ MORE
China welcomes Turkish bid for SCO membership
Turkey's aspirations for membership in the Russian and Chinese-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) might materialize as the organization moves towards admitting new members, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a special talk with Today's Zaman. READ MORE
Turkey Debates SCO as an Alternative to the EU
Turkey–European Union relations were frozen while Cyprus held the rotating EU presidency during the second half of 2012. In those six months, no progress was made in Turkey’s European integration, and very few official visits took place between Turkish and EU delegations. Signifying the tense relationship, in November, ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy, Professor Burhan Kuzu, the head of the parliamentary Constitution Commission, harshly criticized the EU progress report on Turkey. He dramatically threw it into a trashcan on national television to show his government’s disappointment with the EU and with Cyprus’s presidency (CNNTurk, November 11, 2012). READ MORE
