Turkije wil steun aan Amerika in Irak opzeggen (en)
Auteur: | By Lisbeth Kirk
While Turkey's political establishment is pushing for the country to join the EU, foreign minister Abdullah Gül has threatened to cut the country's traditional partnership with the US in Iraq.
An American military offensive against Tall Afar in Northern Iraq has pushed the Turks to warn Washington.
The attack led to the loss of civilians in an area where many Turks live.
"I myself spoke to the American Secretary of State (Colin Powell)", Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said, according to Anatolia news agency reports.
"We stated very clearly that if it continues, Turkey will end its partnership on all areas concerning Iraq".
Adultery on the agenda
The Turkish track towards EU membership has some other obstacles to overcome however.
Several EU foreign ministers urged Turkey to drop a controversial proposal outlawing adultery at a meeting in Brussels on Monday (13 September).
The Turkish ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has proposed criminalising adultery as part of a set of penal code amendments which were originally intended to bring Turkey in line with European norms.
The proposal is to be discussed in the Turkish Parliament today (14 September).
Britain's foreign minister, Jack Straw was quoted by the IHT saying the proposed Turkish law on adultery would harm Turkey's efforts to begin negotiations on accession to the Union.
Hayati Yazici, the assistant General Manager of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's lawyer said, according to the Turkish daily Zaman, that he and the AKP would consider the criticisms of the Turkish Penal Code draft.
Political Commissioners?</Strong>
On 6 October, the European Commission is expected to publish a crucial report on Turkey's compliance with the standard criteria for EU membership.
This report will largely influence a decision in December by member states on whether or not to start accession talks with Ankara.
The EU enlargement commissioner Günter Verheugen has just returned from a trip to Turkey. In an interview with the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper on Saturday (12 September), Mr Verheugen said that after 40 years of promises the EU could not refuse Ankara's application, but added Turkey would not join before 2015.
The Commission's report on Turkish readiness to join the EU needs backing from a majority of the college, which seems divided on the issue.
Last week the Dutch Commissioner Frits Bolkestein warned that the European Union will "implode" if farm and regional aid policies remain unchanged by the time Turkey joins the EU.
A six-page letter from the Austrian Commissioner for agriculture Franz Fischler to his colleagues was circulated to the press over the weekend. Mr Fischler is arguing for a plan B in case Turkey is not adopted as a member of the EU.
The European Commissioners however received sharp rebuke from the Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moller.
"Those Commissioners should stop running around playing politicians", he said to Politiken. "They are to deliver a technical judicial evaluation of Turkey but to leave to us [the ministers] to make the political decision".