§ Tom CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the requirements placed upon Turkey for accession to the EU; and if he will make a statement on progress being made by Turkey in that regard. [175153]
§ Mr. MacShaneThe requirements for Turkey's accession to the EU are set out in the Copenhagen criteria of 1993, and are the same as apply to all EU Candidates. To this end, the European Council decided in December 2002 that: "If the European Council in December 2004, on the basis of a report and a recommendation from the Commission, decides that Turkey fulfils the Copenhagen political criteria, the European Union will open accession negotiations with Turkey without delay."
We welcome the adoption by Turkey of wide-ranging constitutional and legislative reforms to meet the Copenhagen political criteria. Seven Packages of Legislative Reform have been passed since 2002, overhauling Turkey's government, penal and legal system, and—in an iterative process with the EU (most 1578W recently at the 18 May Association Council)—ensuring that Turkey's domestic reforms converge with EU norms. Eleven constitutional amendments are currently being finalised. These include abolition of the death penalty in all situations, abolition of State Security Courts, and establishment of supremacy of international law over domestic law.
My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister stressed the importance of effective implementation of reforms at the first UK/Turkey Summit on 17 May in Ankara, underlining the UK's strong support for Turkey's EU candidature and our determination to help Turkey comply with the Copenhagen political criteria in advance of December's European Council decision.