Europe urges Turkey for better dialogue, progress

EU Commissioner Stefan Füle has called on Turkey to be in closer dialogue with the European Commission to ‘provide positive substance that will set the tone of the next progress report’ The EU commissioner urged Ankara to consult further with the commission in making legislation more compatible with EU’s acquis.

“I have invited my Turkish colleague to decisively engage with the EU in a comprehensive and credible reform process and to allow close dialogue with the commission in the areas fundamental rights and rule of law,” Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Füle told reporters after the working group meeting on Chapter 23 (Judiciary and Fundamental Rights).

Citing “recent turbulence” in Turkey over the past few months, there have been “doubts cast over Turkey’s commitment to European values and standards,” Füle said, mentioning “corruption allegations; the reshuffle of investigations and judges particularly; the rapid adoption of legislation that has not been consulted with the EU, which seems to have moved Turkey farther away from EU standards.
Together with EU Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ, they had a meeting of the working group. It was a “good opportunity to determine which direction to take on the reform of the judiciary and on the fundamental rights and freedom,” the commissioner said.

Füle said he hoped that in the coming weeks they would be allowed to translate those discussions into “concrete actions agreed on by both sides.”

“There is a chance to turn our positive agenda into tangible results and set the appropriate...