Turkey could become EU member by 2015

Zeynel Lüle

Hürriyet

Turkish Minister for European Union Affairs Egemen Bağış is seen in this file photo. AA Photo.

Turkey could become a member of the European Union by 2015, according to a report by Turkey’s EU Affairs Ministry.

If France and Greek Cyprus lift their vetoes against Turkey and all 17 chapters are completed, Turkey could enter the EU, the report said. The report was prepared on the assumption that the obstacles to Turkey’s EU bid were lifted and used the EU calendar on the process and timeline of membership.

Tension between Turkey and Greek Cyprus has blocked 16 of 17 negotiation chapters and is subject to the outcome of an EU Commission monitoring report that has been submitted to the EU Council, the report said.

If all the political blocks on the chapters and those from EU countries are removed, then the “Education and Culture” and “Economy and Monetary Policies” chapters can be opened within three months, the report said.

Should the vetoes be removed from chapters on financial services, energy, free movement of workers, and financial and budgetary provisions, they could be opened after six months.

Chapters on fisheries, foreign relations, justice, freedom and security, and customs union could be opened within a year, the report said, adding that five other chapters that could be opened are on transport policy, free movement of goods, freedom of establishment to provide services, regional policy and coordination of structural instruments, and judiciary and fundamental rights.

The agriculture and rural development chapter could only be opened after 20 months. A timeline for the foreign, security and defense policy chapter was left undecided.

via Turkey could become EU member by 2015 – Hurriyet Daily News.