The UK, the EU and 2013

A guest blog by Louise Taylor, EU Political Officer, British Embassy Ankara, Turkey.

The tragic deaths of a mother and her children in the town of Akçakale last week has highlighted the extent to which Turkey is at the top of many important areas of the international agenda.

This week all eyes are on Brussels and the European Commission’s annual progress report on Turkey’s accession to the EU. The UK agrees with the Commission when they say that the ‘potential of the EU-Turkey relationship can be fully tapped only within the framework of an active and credible accession process’.

That’s why the UK is keen to make 2013 a more positive year for Turkey’s EU ambitions.

The enlargement process has already made an important contribution to Turkey’s transformation. The UK will be working hard, in Turkey and in the EU, to drive this process forward, concretely and quickly.

The UK has always been, and continues to be, a strong supporter of Turkish EU membership. Last week in Istanbul the British Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, described Turkish accession as a “strategic necessity” during his meeting with EU Minister Egemen Bağış. That’s why the UK has for many years been working closely with Turkish Ministries and NGOs to help Turkey prepare for the benefits and challenges of EU membership.

One important practical example of that UK-Turkish co-operation was the signature last week in Istanbul by Mr Clegg and the Turkish Europe Minister, Egemen Bağış, of an agreement to raise the awareness, through study visits and tailored handbooks and a website, of 350 lawyers across Turkey about the EU’s approach to protecting fundamental rights.

The UK and Turkey have many other exciting projects in the pipeline, including further work with the Ministry of EU Affairs putting young business people on the EU path; work with the Council of Europe and the Justice Ministry on freedom of expression; and a joint project with the Ministry of Family and Social Policies to embed Turkey’s important new legislation on domestic violence.

All these projects are designed to help Turkey tackle the outstanding areas of reform as identified by the Commission. The UK is still analysing the detail of the report but we welcome the Commission’s efforts to restore momentum to the accession process despite the well known challenges.

I’m personally looking forward to working ever harder on this issue in the coming months and years.