Source: BBC
The European Union says it has agreed to resume membership talks with Turkey.
The EU’s European affairs ministers, meeting in Luxembourg, said the talks would restart on 5 November, after being stalled for three years.
The EU had first agreed to relaunch negotiations in June, but postponed the talks after members criticised Turkey’s crackdown on anti-government protests.
Turkey first applied for full membership of what was then the European Economic Community in 1987.
The ministers of the 28 EU members based their latest decision on a recommendation by the European Commission.
In its 2013 progress report on Turkey published last week, the Commission had criticised as excessive the use of force by Turkish police in dealing with widespread demonstrations.
But it recognised that Turkey had introduced judicial reforms. It also praised the announcement last month by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of a series of political reforms, including increased rights for Kurds.
‘Catch up time’
Linas Linkevicius, the foreign minister of Lithuania, which currently holds the EU presidency, congratulated Turkey on the resumption of the negotiating process, which he said was overdue.
Categories: Europe, Europe and Australia, European Union, Turkey
Hope to progress this time. However religious freedom in Turkey is questionable specially for Ahmadies as community is not allowed to build a mosque.
Not entirely correct. It has to do with how Jamaat is registered.