Spaans voorzitterschap willen nieuwe stappen zetten in onderhandelingen met Turkije (en)

The Turkish flag flies next to that of the European Union in front of the Nur-u Osmaniye mosque in Istanbul. EFE

The Spanish Presidency would like to open new chapters in accession negotiations with Turkey to the EU, said Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, who chaired the EU-Turkey Association Council on Monday in Brussels.

"The Spanish Presidency believes that we must continue the negotiation process with determination and move towards the opening of new chapters," Moratinos said at a press conference after the Council in which it reiterated that Spain will continue efforts to ensure compliance with the commitment to the full integration of Turkey into the EU.

Moratinos said he could not specify how many chapters he expects to open during the Spanish term, which ends June 30, but he assured that internal efforts are being made in the EU and that the Presidency is doing "additional work in those chapters that have more political elements."

The commissioner of Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy, Stefan Füle i, noted in the same press conference that there are opportunities to open the competition and food security chapters this year, but that he would also like to start work in those of energy and education.

Moratinos stressed "the good state of relations" between the EU and Turkey, in particular the institutional reforms being debated in Turkey and which were reviewed at the meeting in Brussels.

The Turkish Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, said his country is "determined to continue with wide-ranging reforms ... Perhaps this is one of the broader reforms in the history of Turkey, and we will continue working to implement democratic standards" in accordance with acquis communautaire.

The other pillar of good relations between the EU and Turkey is foreign policy, as confirmed by Moratinos as well as by Davutoglu.

"We have affirmed and reaffirmed the tremendous co-operation between Turkey and the EU in areas of common interest as well as the high level of international commitment," said the Spanish minister.

He added that Turkey has "a major international diplomacy and has achieved results in highly complex areas such as the Middle East, Iran, Caucasus, Central Asia and in the United Nations, where it co-chairs the Alliance of Civilisations with Spain. It is a diplomacy that complements the efforts of the EU”.

The Turkish minister said that his country's foreign policy is "in line with the EU and its principles" and demonstrates how Turkey could contribute to making the European Union a global player." Turkey, he said, "has a very clear position in favour of maintaining regional and global peace."

He explained that he had interviewed the EU High Representative, Catherine Ashton, about Iran and its nuclear ambitions, and that Turkey continues mediation efforts "because there is still a margin for diplomacy".

Both Moratinos and his Turkish colleague insisted that the goal of negotiations is full membership, and the Turkish Minister called on EU countries to not let "political issues that have nothing to do with it" intervene in this process. With the full integration of Turkey into the Union "not only do be both win, but global order does as well," he said.