Yes Mr Minister, you are on your way to EU
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hurriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Ocak 10, 2009 00:00
ANKARA - A long-lasting debate on separating Foreign Minister Ali Babacan's two hats has come to an end, with the government picking a new negotiator for its European Union bid.
As foreign policy dossiers have increased since it began its two-year term on the U.N. Security Council this month, ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, deputy Egemen Bağış will try to revive the flagging accession negotiations. While acting as both foreign minister and chief negotiator for talks with the EU, Babacan was often criticized for an unsatisfactory performance in ties with the bloc.
The government's new decision, which came ahead of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's trip to Brussels next week, will open the way for Babacan to spend much of his time on Turkey's term at the Security Council.
On the EU front, however, appointing a new coordinator could give an upper hand to the government, rapped by the bloc's officials for stalling the reform process. EU officials welcomed the government's decision to form a new institutional setup for negotiations. Its timing was also praised, as 2009 will be a crucial year in Turkey's relations with the EU, providing a test for review of the country's commitments to reforms.
Bağış, who was not known to the public before the November 2002 elections that resulted in victory for the AKP, helped Erdoğan as interpreter at critical meetings. He climbed the political ladder quickly and accompanied the Erdoğan overseas, prompting some quarters to label him a "shadow foreign minister." Bağış, who speaks fluent English, soon became one of the people closest to Erdoğan and reached the rank of adviser on foreign affairs.
For the EU representatives dealing with Turkey, Bağış is not an unknown either. Being among the leading figures of the AKP since 2002, he has established a wide network in various European capitals, as well as in diplomatic circles in Ankara. But he is mostly known for his familiarity with U.S. affairs. He served as the chairman of the Turkish-U.S. Inter-parliamentary Caucus for five years.
Although he does not have an official background in diplomacy, he gained a great deal of experience while accompanying Erdoğan on key visits to world capitals. His social and outspoken character has helped him make friends in the media. Bağış has also been the government's voice to the international media, making special appearances during times when the AKP was under criticism.
Asks for a correction
In a letter to the Economist in December 2008 about an article critical of AKP policy, Bağış asked for a correction, saying, "Your report on Turkey's prime minister contradicted the real situation ('The worrying Tayyip Erdogan,' November 29th) ... A biased argument based on a rumor about a deal between Mr Erdoğan and the chief of Staff, İlker Başbuğ, does not reflect the truth and misleads your readers. Moreover, labeling the AK Party as ’Islamist’ is groundless. The AK Party is not Islamist, but a centrist-conservative, democratic political party."
Bağış is a well-known figure within Ankara's high society, and also a regular patron of the Paper Moon restaurant in one of the capital’s busiest quarters. His wife, Beyhan Bağış, made the cover of the famous society magazine Alem a couple of months ago. Meanwhile, Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, whose country holds the European Union presidency, hit out Thursday at Western prejudice against Turkey which he said should eventually become an EU member.
"The Czech Republic is convinced that one day, Turkey should be a member of the EU," he told reporters in Prague. "But I have to stress that, lamentably, prejudices in western Europe are existing... against the Turks."
"We should work in the EU ourselves to get rid of these prejudices," added Schwarzenberg, whose country assumed the rotating EU presidency at the start of the year.
Many of the old EU nations -- France in particular, as well as Austria and to a lesser extent Germany -- are among the most hostile to mainly Muslim Turkey joining the European bloc.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who has said Turkey has no place in the EU, has vetoed the opening of five of the 35 policy chapters which Turkey must successfully negotiate prior to membership. While Turkey is "of strategic importance to Europe" it has to accept all the conditions to become a European state and fulfill the criteria, said Schwarzenberg, admitting that was likely some way off.
The government's new decision, which came ahead of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's trip to Brussels next week, will open the way for Babacan to spend much of his time on Turkey's term at the Security Council.
On the EU front, however, appointing a new coordinator could give an upper hand to the government, rapped by the bloc's officials for stalling the reform process. EU officials welcomed the government's decision to form a new institutional setup for negotiations. Its timing was also praised, as 2009 will be a crucial year in Turkey's relations with the EU, providing a test for review of the country's commitments to reforms.
Bağış, who was not known to the public before the November 2002 elections that resulted in victory for the AKP, helped Erdoğan as interpreter at critical meetings. He climbed the political ladder quickly and accompanied the Erdoğan overseas, prompting some quarters to label him a "shadow foreign minister." Bağış, who speaks fluent English, soon became one of the people closest to Erdoğan and reached the rank of adviser on foreign affairs.
For the EU representatives dealing with Turkey, Bağış is not an unknown either. Being among the leading figures of the AKP since 2002, he has established a wide network in various European capitals, as well as in diplomatic circles in Ankara. But he is mostly known for his familiarity with U.S. affairs. He served as the chairman of the Turkish-U.S. Inter-parliamentary Caucus for five years.
Although he does not have an official background in diplomacy, he gained a great deal of experience while accompanying Erdoğan on key visits to world capitals. His social and outspoken character has helped him make friends in the media. Bağış has also been the government's voice to the international media, making special appearances during times when the AKP was under criticism.
Asks for a correction
In a letter to the Economist in December 2008 about an article critical of AKP policy, Bağış asked for a correction, saying, "Your report on Turkey's prime minister contradicted the real situation ('The worrying Tayyip Erdogan,' November 29th) ... A biased argument based on a rumor about a deal between Mr Erdoğan and the chief of Staff, İlker Başbuğ, does not reflect the truth and misleads your readers. Moreover, labeling the AK Party as ’Islamist’ is groundless. The AK Party is not Islamist, but a centrist-conservative, democratic political party."
Bağış is a well-known figure within Ankara's high society, and also a regular patron of the Paper Moon restaurant in one of the capital’s busiest quarters. His wife, Beyhan Bağış, made the cover of the famous society magazine Alem a couple of months ago. Meanwhile, Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, whose country holds the European Union presidency, hit out Thursday at Western prejudice against Turkey which he said should eventually become an EU member.
"The Czech Republic is convinced that one day, Turkey should be a member of the EU," he told reporters in Prague. "But I have to stress that, lamentably, prejudices in western Europe are existing... against the Turks."
"We should work in the EU ourselves to get rid of these prejudices," added Schwarzenberg, whose country assumed the rotating EU presidency at the start of the year.
Many of the old EU nations -- France in particular, as well as Austria and to a lesser extent Germany -- are among the most hostile to mainly Muslim Turkey joining the European bloc.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who has said Turkey has no place in the EU, has vetoed the opening of five of the 35 policy chapters which Turkey must successfully negotiate prior to membership. While Turkey is "of strategic importance to Europe" it has to accept all the conditions to become a European state and fulfill the criteria, said Schwarzenberg, admitting that was likely some way off.