When to talk Turkey.

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    • Subject Terms:
      EUROPEAN Union countries; CYPRUS; TURKEY; EUROPE
    • Abstract:
      The article focuses on European Union membership and the outlook for Turkey. On October 3rd, the EU is due to open negotiations with the biggest and most important country to have asked for membership so far. Turkey has been asking to join Europe for so long that its application is starting to look old and moth-eaten--so much so that some diplomats and politicians seem to have forgotten the strategic reasons for entertaining it. To get this far, Turkey has taken such dramatic steps as abolishing the death penalty, accepting Kurdish as a language in schools, scrapping state security courts, revising the penal code and tightening civilian control over the army. This is a last chance, for both sides. Turkish patience with EU obstructiveness is running out, as is European willingness to accept new members. Two issues threaten to abort the talks: Turkey's refusal to recognise Cyprus, and the desire of some countries to offer Turkey something less than full membership.