Brussels forum shows problems, opportunities in Turkish-EU ties

Judging from last weekend's Brussels Forum, a three-day conference of senior European Union EU political, diplomatic and academic leaders in the EU capital sponsored by the German Marshall Fund, the problems in Turkish-EU relations will not disappear easily. State Minister and EU Talks Negotiator Egemen Bagis attended the forum. EU Director General for Enlargement Michael Leigh and others voiced familiar criticisms of Turkey, including its resistance to opening its ports to Greek Cyprus, slowing commitment to EU reforms, and continuing assaults on press freedom and arrests of journalists. Bagis said the arrests are a function of an independent judiciary over which neither the government nor the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has authority. But those issues faded behind Turkey's growing profile and potential to help resolve the region's increasing turmoil, which most recently spread to Syria. Bagis said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke to Syrian President Bashar Assad on Saturday night and stands ready to play a greater role. Bagis also made it clear that Turkey is more than willing to be helpful, but expects more consultation and respect. He decried Turkey's early exclusion from NATO planning on Libya, the lack of leadership from Brussels on breaking the Cyprus deadlock, and Turkey's exclusion in recent years from meetings of the EU Council of Ministers. "If Europe wants to have influence in this part of the world, Turkey wants to be heard," Bagis said.