European Commission Discontent with Turkey’s Progress towards EU

The European Commission has issued an interim report on Turkey’s progress towards the EU. In the opinion of the commentators, although the EU executive body has prepared a criticizing report it will not propose to freeze talks with Turkey. The monitoring report organized by EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn raises the problem of freedom of speech, specifically initiation of criminal cases against writers and journalists for ‘insulting Turkishness’. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is irreconcilable on the issue, stated last week that it’s possible to reconsider Article 301 and bring it in accordance with the international law. The report of the European Commission criticizes Turkey for keeping Cyprus’s ports closed. December 14-15 the EU Summit in Brussels will decide whether to continue the talks with Turkey or not, reports the RFE/RL.