Turkey’s
eligibility for EU membership, first raised in the
1964 Ankara Association Agreement, was reiterated in
the Commission’s 1989 opinion on Turkey’s
1987 application for membership. On 29 April 1997 the
EU-Turkey Association Council reaffirmed
Turkey’s eligibility and confirmed that Turkey
will be judged by the same objective standards and
criteria as other applicants.
The
entry into force of the customs union on 31 December
1995 marked a major step forward in relations between
the EU and Turkey. The customs union is working
satisfactorily and provides a sound basis for the
further development of relations between the EU and
Turkey. However, political circumstances have not so
far allowed for the pursuit of financial co-operation
and political dialogue, as agreed when the customs
union decision was taken on 5 March 1995.
The
Turkish economy has grown rapidly in the last
ten years. Following the entry into force of the
customs union total EU-Turkey trade has increased
from 22 Becu in 1995 to an estimated 27 Becu in 1996
(with an estimated EU surplus of 9 Becu). The customs
union has demonstrated the Turkish economy’s
ability to cope with the competitive challenge of
free trade in manufactured goods, as well as the
trade, competition, and intellectual property
components of the acquis communautaire.
However, macroeconomic instability continues to give
cause for concern. Over the past decade, Turkey has
been unable to break the cycle of inflation, public
spending deficits and currency depreciation. The
structural causes of macroeconomic instability need
to be tackled e.g. by improving the efficiency of tax
collection, restructuring and privatizing public
sector enterprises, reforming the social security
system and reviewing public expenditure. Efforts are
also needed to bring about economic and social
cohesion, to modernize agriculture and to focus more
on investment in infrastructure and human capital.
In
political terms Turkey has a government and
parliament resulting from multi-party, democratic
elections and an administration capable of framing
and applying legislation compatible with the acquis
communautaire. Despite political recognition of
the need for improvement and certain recent
legislative changes, Turkey’s record on
upholding the rights of the individual and freedom of
expression falls well short of standards in the EU.
In combating terrorism in the south east, Turkey
needs to exercise restraint, to make greater efforts
to uphold the rule of law and human rights and to
find a civil and not a military solution. Persistent
cases of torture, disappearances and extra-judicial
executions, notwithstanding repeated official
statements of the government’s commitment to
ending such practices, put into question the extent
to which the authorities are able to monitor and
control the activities of the security forces.
Recent
developments in the administration and the education
system, while intended to strengthen secularism,
nonetheless underline the particular role of the
military in Turkish society. The National Security
Council has a special role under the Constitution in
the formulation and implementation of national
security policy and the Council of Ministers is
required to give priority to its decisions. There are
ambiguities in the Turkish legal system with regard
to civilian political control of the military.
The
further pursuit of democratization in Turkey should
be accompanied by a firm commitment to resolve a
number of problems in the region. As was pointed out
at the EC-Turkey Association Council on 29 April
1997, tensions in the Aegean can be overcome only
through the settlement of the issues between Greece
and Turkey in accordance with international law,
including means such as the International Court of
Justice, as well as through good neighbourly
relations and the rejection of the threat or use of
force in accordance with the UN Charter. Moreover
Turkey should contribute actively to a just and
lasting settlement of the Cyprus question in
accordance with the relevant United Nations
resolutions.
The
EU should continue to support Turkey’s efforts
to resolve its problems and to forge closer links
with the EU. The Association Agreement and the
customs union provide the foundations for building an
increasingly close political and economic
relationship which should evolve in parallel with the
democratization process inside Turkey, progress
towards lasting good-neighbourly relations towards
Greece and the achievement of a just and lasting
settlement in Cyprus.
A
number of proposals designed to take the relationship
forward are set out in the Commission’s
communication to the Council on the future
development of relations with Turkey (COM(97) 394).
As requested by the Council on 24 March 1997, they
aim to take the relationship beyond the customs union
in the light of the decisions of the April 1997
Association Council.
Several
of the proposals put forward by the Commission will
require funding from the Community budget. Without it
most of these proposals cannot be implemented. The
Commission considers that the special financial
regulation designed to accompany the customs union
should be adopted as soon as possible. It also notes
that MEDA is available for financial co-operation
with Turkey and trusts that the conditions will be
established for the full use of this instrument.