Babacan: "The AKP closure case could hamper Turkey's EU bid"

Foreign Minister and chief negotiator for Turkey's European Union talks Ali Babacan, in the Netherlands for a two-day visit, yesterday began his official talks and signed a bilateral cooperation agreement with his Dutch counterpart Maxime Verhagen. Commenting on the case seeking the closure of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Babacan warned, "This case could cause the EU to suspend Turkey's accession process." He added that most observers abroad believe Turkey can overcome this issue and that it should continue its steadfast democratic reforms. Asked about the EU's warnings over controversial Turkish Penal Code (TCK) Article 301, Babacan said, "This law will be changed in the months to come, but there's only a timing problem dependent on setting the right political atmosphere."