Bagis: "Ankara is fully ready for the EU's progress report"

Asking if Ankara is pleased with a draft European Union progress report on it is superficial, Chief Negotiator for EU Talks Egemen Bagis said yesterday, adding that there's nothing in the report that Turkey isn't ready for. The EU is expected to release its 2010 progress report on Turkey today. Stating that the draft gives a picture of Turkey over the past year, Bagis said Ankara has no problems with the critical points it raises. Bagis also called for opposition parties to show their commitment to democracy and Turkey's EU accession bid if they want Turkey to join the Union. In other news, Turkey is set tomorrow to take over the six-month rotating term presidency of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers. With a ceremony in Strasbourg, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will take the helm of the committee, which decides the CoE's general policy directions and priorities.