§ Mr. Menzies CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of Turkey's progress towards meeting the entry requirements for accession into the EU; and if he will make a statement. [27679]
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§ Mr. StrawWe welcome Turkey's recent constitutional changes as progress towards meeting the Copenhagen criteria. As the Laeken European Council in December noted, Turkey's reforms have brought forward the prospect of the opening of EU accession negotiations for Turkey. Further reforms are needed before Turkey can start negotiations with the EU. We are therefore encouraging the Turkish Government to continue their programme of political and economic reform, in line with the Accession Partnership, notably with regard to human rights.