Turkey EU accession “in member states” hands’

Luxembourg: Engagement with Turkey is the best option, European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton said Monday, as several foreign ministers voiced concern about the prospect of EU accession talks with Ankara going into deep freeze.

EU diplomats said last week that Germany was leading the opposition to progressing Turkey’s EU accession bid because of concerns about the Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s crackdown on protesters.

The EU was supposed to open a new policy chapter in talks with Turkey on Wednesday but that meeting may not now happen.

Asked about the talks, Baroness Ashton said “we’ll have to see how member states decide, it’s in their hands”.

“But my general view...is engagement is a much better option where you possibly can,” she said.

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt also said that Europe must pursue its “strategic” interests in closer ties with Turkey despite “nervousness” in some capitals.

“It is not something that is subject to short-term whims here and there,” he told foreign ministers.

Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said that for the sake of Turkey’s people, talks should continue.

He said he believed the “last word” had not yet been said on whether Wednesday’s talks will go ahead.

On his way into the meeting in Luxembourg, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said that what happened with the crackdown on protesters in Turkey could not be ignored.

He said a final decision on Wednesday’s EU talks should be made on Tuesday.

“It is absolutely clear to us that the escalation that took place in Turkey over the past weeks is anything but good,” Westerwelle said.

“But it is also clear that we should neither let the talks break down nor reduce them. Rather now we should find a way to bring the diverse interests together.”

Turkey has been in accession talks with the EU since 2005 but broad concerns about allowing the country into the regional bloc in Germany, France and the Netherlands have meant no fresh talks on a new policy area since 2010.

Currently, the EU has opened talks on 13 policy “chapters” with Turkey but finished negotiations on just one. Negotiations on 35 policy chapters must be agreed for a country to enter the EU.