Turkey-EU tension endangers upgrade to customs union

İstanbul, Mar 28 (DHA) – Ongoing tension between Ankara and Brussels could further complicate the launch of technical negotiations to upgrade a customs union agreement to the advantage of both sides, Turkish and European diplomats have admitted, revealing that a Turkey-EU summit at the leaders’ level planned for May or June will not happen until the end of the year.
Turkey was hoping that the EU Council would approve the mandate in the first half of 2017 so that it could begin negotiations with the European Commission by July 1, when the Estonian term presidency will begin.
“I don’t say that it’s completely impossible but it’s very, very difficult under the given circumstances,” a European diplomat said.
“A necessary mandate to launch negotiations would not be a big problem if that would happen in the last month,” said diplomat from another European country.
“The course of the Turkey-EU relationship after the referendum will be decisive. Turkey’s attempt to introduce a referendum on the continuation of accession talks or continued political crisis through public accusations will surely not be helpful for us in managing the last remaining positive agenda in our ties.”
Turkey and the EU agreed to upgrade their two-decade-old customs union on industrial goods by expanding it to agriculture products, services and public procurements. The European Commission notified the European Council that it was ready to negotiate with Turkey and duly called for a mandate in late 2016. Turkey wants to start negotiations swiftly but recent tension has created a number of difficulties, as outlined below.