Ankara accelerates parliamentary talks on EU reforms
The third meeting of the Reform Action Group (RAG) will be held on Friday in Ankara under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu along with the participation of Turkey's Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ, European Union (EU) Minister Volkan Bozkır, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Interior Minister Efkan Ala. The main topic of the Reform Action Group meeting is expected to be Turkey's EU accession process as the application process has gained new momentum after EU leaders met in Brussels on Nov. 29 with their Turkish counterparts. The reforms called for by the election manifesto of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and anticipated by the EU are expected to be discussed during the meeting.
Meanwhile, the carrying out of reforms is one of the main priorities of the 64th government of the Republic of Turkey as asserted in the election manifesto by the AK Party. Furthermore, the fundamental aim is to develop a more efficient judicial system based on more liberal and pluralist democracy and to further promote respect for human rights within the scope of global standards.
Additionally, the Reform Monitoring Group (RIG) meetings, the last of which was held in Erzurum on July 23, 2014, were replaced by the Reform Action Group (RAG) following the approval of Cabinet members. A new period has commenced with the formation of the RAG. From now on the RAG will not only monitor the political reform process in Turkey, but also actively engage in the preparation of the reform drafts, enactment phase of the legislation and the implementation phase. Turkish-EU relations have gained new momentum since Turkey signed the EU's refugee action plan at a joint summit in Brussels on Nov. 29. It seems like the process of revitalizing Turkish-EU relations will continue by opening a new chapter for negotiations on Dec. 14 after a two-year hiatus and with more frequent visits from both the Turkish and EU sides. Turkey's EU Minister Volkan Bozkır has visited European capital Brussels twice since he was reappointed to the ministry and his frequent visits will continue in the coming days.
Meanwhile, the carrying out of reforms is one of the main priorities of the 64th government of the Republic of Turkey as asserted in the election manifesto by the AK Party. Furthermore, the fundamental aim is to develop a more efficient judicial system based on more liberal and pluralist democracy and to further promote respect for human rights within the scope of global standards.
Additionally, the Reform Monitoring Group (RIG) meetings, the last of which was held in Erzurum on July 23, 2014, were replaced by the Reform Action Group (RAG) following the approval of Cabinet members. A new period has commenced with the formation of the RAG. From now on the RAG will not only monitor the political reform process in Turkey, but also actively engage in the preparation of the reform drafts, enactment phase of the legislation and the implementation phase. Turkish-EU relations have gained new momentum since Turkey signed the EU's refugee action plan at a joint summit in Brussels on Nov. 29. It seems like the process of revitalizing Turkish-EU relations will continue by opening a new chapter for negotiations on Dec. 14 after a two-year hiatus and with more frequent visits from both the Turkish and EU sides. Turkey's EU Minister Volkan Bozkır has visited European capital Brussels twice since he was reappointed to the ministry and his frequent visits will continue in the coming days.