World Press Review on Turkey - EU relations (January 16, 2014)

Hürriyet Daily News published an article by Barcin Yinanc headlined "Erdogan's visit to Brussels: an excercise for damage control." The author characterises the upcoming visit of the Turkish Prime Minister to Brussels as "a step to 'modestly' revitalize he stagnating accession talks."

"The majority in Europe does not want to see Turkey in the EU; and those who can tolerate the idea of Turkey as a member, would not mind if that day will come in the long run, rather than in the foreseeable future. And this is nothing to be surprised about. If a country in the size, dimension and characteristics of Turkey becomes a member of the 28 nations bloc, it will upset the balance in the already crisis stricken EU," the article continues.

"We have witnessed by the end of 2013 some developments that would get the dust off of the accession talks. After an interval of 3.5 years, talks started on one new chapter last November. This was followed in December with the signature of an agreement to enter discussions on dropping visa requirements for Turks visiting Europe. This, of course, was possible only because Turkey accepted to sign the readmission agreement allowing EU governments to send back illegal immigrants crossing into Europe from Turkey," the article reads.

The author does not think that the EU would "voice a strong warning that the democratic backpedalling that has been witnessed in Turkey is against the criteria that is required for membership talks."

"Erdoğan will insistently make a point that there is a parallel structure within the police and judiciary. He will ask “which democratic regime, which country in the EU will tolerate a separate, autonomous structure to operate within the state apparatus?” And if it will be the day where his pragmatism is at peak, he might even make use of their “Islamophobia” by saying the parallel structure takes its order from a “RELIGIOUS!” community. Of course, his interlocutors will not say that it was Erdoğan himself who had tolerated this parallel structure until recently. Instead, they will say something along the lines, “Do it by staying within the limits of democracy.” But they will say it with such diplomatic mumbo jumbo that it will be lost in translation," the author writes.

The article concludes that "accidents on the road are still possible and the job of the diplomats during the visit will be that of trying to contain the damage."