March 13, 2007
The EU urgently needs to give a new account of itself. Old-fashioned grand narrative and Euromyth will no longer do the trick. How about a true and self-critical story woven around six goals? says Timothy Garton Ash Howard Arkley, Australia...
March 10, 2007
European Union leaders have agreed to adopt a binding target on the use of renewable energy, such as wind and solar power, officials say. EU makes bold commitment on climate, renewables European leaders have agreed to a legally binding objective...
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March 09, 2007
Greek Cypriots have begun demolishing a key section of the barrier dividing the island's capital city, Nicosia. * Cyprus trying to cooperate with Turkey over missing persons EU agrees on carbon dioxide cuts; European Union leaders at a climate change...
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March 08, 2007
The next few days could be a "defining moment for the EU" as its leaders consider tough new emissions targets, the EU Commission president says. * Merkel to test Europe's intent on green power EU divided over nuclear and renewables...
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10:28 PM
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December 30, 2006
The Economist: Next year marks the EU's 50th anniversary Analysis: Europe's 2006 By STEFAN NICOLA Ralf Beste and Hans-Jürgen Schlamp in Germany Prepares to Take Helm of EU and G8 2007 will be a big year for Germany: As...
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December 29, 2006
Turkey's civilian and military leaders reiterated their commitment Thursday to Turkey's bid to join the European Union, but said the bloc should not impose additional conditions on Ankara. Therefore, Turkish Security Council criticizes EU double standards... German EU presidency lumbered...
December 28, 2006
The Finnish EU presidency is winding down to an unspectacular end, having been trumped by Russia's stormy relations with the bloc and the enduring Cyprus problem.............. Barroso's energy liberalisation plans to face uphill struggle; European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso...
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December 22, 2006
Turkey's legal framework on women's rights "has in general been satisfactory, but its substantive implementation remains flawed", says the EP Women's Rights Committee in its second report on women's role in social, economic and political life in Turkey, adopted on...
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December 21, 2006
Cafe Babel has it: What is in store for new year's Europe? We look at the upcoming leaders, movers and shakers who will transform the face of the EU in 2007 The official launch of a common energy policy in...
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06:30 PM
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December 18, 2006
The Boston Globe editorial says: The 25 foreign ministers of the European Union embarrassed themselves last week when they agreed to punish Turkey for refusing to open its ports and airfields to the Greek Republic of Cyprus. The EU decision...
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07:36 PM
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Jan Ehlert of Cafe Babel had reported that French PM Dominique de Villepin and Spanish author Jorge Semprún have teamed up with a new offering: a book about Europe EU Presidency: The Finns bow out It’s not only the...
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December 17, 2006
Person of the Year: You- Yes, you. You control the Information Age. Welcome to your world. By LEV GROSSMAN As TRT to rebroadcast documentary accusing Sweden of genocide, Swedish Ambassador said freedom of the press is an essential principle...
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December 16, 2006
Papers across Europe reflect on the main themes covered by the EU's end-of-year summit in Brussels and DJ Nozem explains Why I'm not Covering the EU Summit:) Mark Mardell of BBC Europe editor says "After the excitement of some EU...
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11:54 PM
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European Union leaders have said that countries wanting to join will have to meet strict conditions from now on, but that the EU's doors are still open.. It is also stated that New EU 'consensus' over enlargement highly fragile. In...
December 15, 2006
Hürriyet names it.... As EU to start closing doors to the east, Stephen Kinzer discusses Slamming the door in Turkey's face ..........For the last few years, Turkey has been engaged in a process of near-revolutionary change. It is today...
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07:47 PM
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European Union leaders meeting in Brussels are due to signal that new countries wanting to join the bloc will face a tougher examination than ever. Tougher entry rules stall EU enlargement which means Turkey faces difficult journey to become...
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07:12 PM
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December 14, 2006
EU leaders gathered in Brussels to discuss stricter rules for admitting new member states. Hence, Should EU expansion be reconsidered?; hot BBC discussion starts... Of course, in this meeting of Heads of state to discuss EU enlargement strategy, Turkey has...
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The heads of the 25 European Union states are expected to make it harder for new members to join, when they meet for their annual summit in Brussels. Via George Parker and Daniel Dombey in EU leaders to start closing...
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11:55 AM
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Nobel laureate for literature Orhan Pamuk of Turkey holds his medal as he poses with daughter Ryya after the prize ceremony in Stockholm December 10, 2006. The European Union's decision to partially suspend Turkey's entry talks will cause problems...
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04:07 AM
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December 12, 2006
While Cyprus veto still looms over EU-Turkey talks, The Turkish prime minister has accused the EU of acting unfairly towards Turkey by deciding to slow down its membership talks........
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04:10 PM
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After a police operation against allegedly DHKP connected NGOs, Gazi and some other neighbourhoods in Istanbul witnessed fierce street demonstrations last week. Here are more pictures and a partisan report of the events. According to the latest news report...
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12:33 AM
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December 09, 2006
J.E. Luebering in Pamuk and the World Without Center provides a good analysis of Pamuk's Nobel speech... Sarah Edmonds says Pamuk pays tribute to power of literature while in Germany - Die Welt | Friday, December 8, 2006; Orhan Pamuk...
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December 08, 2006
hahaha looks like surprising but not impressive: EU's Barroso says Turkish offer in right direction and Prof. İsen intends to read this as the "bald" end of an era? AND Stephen Castle of the Independent states that Turkey's ports move...
A last-minute offer by Turkey to open a major port to traffic from Cyprus in a bid to avert a partial suspension of its European Union membership talks sowed confusion among EU governments on Thursday......... Spiegel states Turkey Moves Toward...
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December 07, 2006
The EU is studying an offer by Turkey to open one port and one airport to traffic from Cyprus, Finland says. The European Commission said the move, if confirmed, was "an important step" towards breaking the deadlock over Turkey's EU...
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04:12 PM
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Doug Merrill in AFOE says: .........Long experience with the EU and its predecessors warns against saying never and assuming that anything is ever completely settled. On the other hand, Turkey first signed an Association Agreement with the European Community before...
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11:12 AM
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December 05, 2006
The EU's Enlargement Commissioner, Olli Rehn, has urged Germany and France not to step up the pressure on Turkey over its membership bid. Living in the Shadow of Ataturk: Buyukanit in Istanbul I published the cover already, here is now...
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08:25 AM
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December 04, 2006
If the European Union now spurns Turkey, it will deservedly stand accused of historic dishonesty and perfidy says Martin Kettle. Sabah has a brief round up of non-Turkish press and quotes from the Guardian, Turkey as "Healthy man of Europe"...
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06:44 PM
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Hugh Williamson in Berlin, Peggy Hollinger in Paris and,Wolfgang Proissl in Brussels says: Germany and France will tomorrow demand tougher conditions for Turkey's troubled European Union membership bid, in a move likely to cause new divisions over Ankara at next...
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11:16 AM
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December 02, 2006
Bronwen Maddox in Blame game is a dangerous one to play Who is most to blame for the sudden deadlock between Turkey and the European Union? Turkey, by a small margin, if you have to make that call, in that...
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02:40 AM
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December 01, 2006
Pope met world Orthodox leader and later visited one of Turkey's most famous mosques in what is being seen as an attempt to mend relations with the Muslim community. I should say his praying at the Blue Mosque instead of...
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11:54 AM
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November 29, 2006
The European Commission is set to recommend that parts of the EU's talks with Turkey about EU membership should be suspended, the BBC has learned. Therefore, Talks With Turkey Now "on Lower Level": Germany's Steinmeier says. Merkel says EU can't...
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03:50 PM
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November 27, 2006
The murders of Alexander Litvinenko and Anna Politkovskaya hung over the EU-Russia summit in Helsinki on Friday (24 November) in a meeting that did not resolve the Polish-Russian meat row but did see progress on Siberian overflights and environmental cooperation...
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04:18 AM
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November 24, 2006
The EU and Russia will not start talks on a new post-2007 "Strategic Partnership Treaty" at a summit in Helsinki on Friday after Poland on Thursday upheld its veto on the issue, despite intense two-day long negotiations in Brussels and...
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02:49 PM
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November 15, 2006
A senior Vatican cardinal has expressed concern over the use of some Muslim veils by Islamic immigrants in Europe. Barroso defends Romania's new 'multilingualism' job: European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso has played down criticism from socialist MEPs who said...
The United States today intervened in the row over Turkey's EU membership negotiations by questioning a key European demand. Weeks ahead of an expected showdown between Turkey and the EU, Washington cast doubt on the EU's call for Ankara to...
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10:38 AM
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November 14, 2006
EU foreign ministers have given a downbeat assessment on the chances of keeping Turkey's accession talks on track, with the Finnish EU presidency openly doubting its chances of reaching a deal on Cyprus and with Austria urging a "breathing pause"...
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November 13, 2006
Jody Sabral in Turkish complexities:: The recently released European Commission's annual report on Turkey's progress towards EU membership has criticised Ankara's pace of reforms, but has not brought to light new challenges since accession talks began in October 2005. 'Öğretment'...
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06:00 PM
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Dossier of Friday, November 10, 2006; The Cypriot conundrum The question of partion in Cyprus, divided since 1974 between Turkish Cypriots in the North and Greeks in the South is weighing heavily on discussions between the EU and Turkey. Brussels...
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01:50 AM
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November 11, 2006
LA Times editorial says "It's too important to Europe, and vice versa, for talks over its entrance into the EU to founder.... Flag-drapped coffin of former Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit is carried by honour guards during his funeral ceremony at...
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03:58 PM
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Turkey holds ex-PM Ecevit funeral With the progress report we did hit the headlines and Cafe Babel provides some good info. An abridged Chronology of Turkish membership bid can be found here. Well, there is an article on our,...
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11:54 AM
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A Turkish man who claims he is the inspiration for spoof Kazakh journalist Borat - aka Sacha Baron Cohen - says he would like to make his own film. BBC Monitoring Turks stoical about EU report Turkish papers have...
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November 09, 2006
Brussels' efforts to keep the Turkey EU talks on track by not recommending whether to freeze negotiations over the Cyprus issue has sparked further speculation on what a possible "train crash" in Ankara's accession process could look like. But Turkey...
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08:21 PM
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The European Commission has given Turkey until mid-December to open its ports to Cypriot ships, or face unspecified consequences. As Istanbul Tory says Turkey breathes a sign of relief...for now. Still not feeling well and quite drunk right now. I...
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November 08, 2006
By Izel Rozental COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT - Turkey 2006 Progress Report COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Enlargement Strategy and Main Challenges 2006 – 2007 Including annexed special report on the EU's capacity...
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04:16 PM
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Well, it seems that there won't be an immediate break in relations as some began to think: "The European Commission is unlikely to recommend a partial suspension of Turkey's EU membership talks over the Cyprus issue in a key report...
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02:33 AM
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November 07, 2006
In WorkPermit.Com, it is said that "The European Commission will decide this week if it will recommend a partial suspension of Turkey's membership negotiations for joining the European Union. Turkey has failed in several key areas, including failure to open...
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03:43 AM
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November 06, 2006
CYPRUS _ EU: Turkey must open its ports and airspace to Greek Cypriot ships and recognize Cyprus' customs union with the EU. _ Turkey: Before it recognizes the government of Greek Cyprus, the EU must keep its promise to help...
November 04, 2006
Mehmet Ali Talat talks to Euronews..... CBS asks Will Turkey And EU Divorce Before Wedding? After Years Of Waiting To Get In, Signs Indicate Turkey May Not Join EU After All. Whenever a major crisis occurs, similar questions are asked....
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FT says ...Yet the real problem that could cause negotiations to be suspended - or at least put in cold storage - in December is far more precise and immediate: the failure to make any progress on a settlement of...
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02:23 PM
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A draft European Commission report raises fresh doubts about Turkey's bid to join the EU. The draft, seen by the BBC ahead of its publication next week, says the pace of reforms has slowed down and it urges Turkey to...
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November 03, 2006
"The beleaguered Turkish EU membership talks were dealt another blow on Thursday (2 November) after emergency talks to try and unblock the impasse were cancelled........Helsinki's last minute discussions due to start on Sunday ran into opposition when Turkey learned that...
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November 02, 2006
Olli Rehn, the EU Commissioner for Expansion, has characterized EU relations with Ankara as "schizophrenic" in an interview with the French newspaper Liberation. While asserting that he was against the freezing of talks with Ankara, Rehn did underscore some of...
November 01, 2006
Financial Times feeds the concerned public substantially: Daniel Dombey says Report puts Turkey’s EU hopes in jeopardy and with Fidelius Schmid in Brussels and,Vincent Boland in Ankara he underlines that Risky decision over accession talks could turn sour and a...
The Finnish EU presidency is organising a meeting between EU, Turkey, Greece, Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot authorities in an attempt to prevent a collapse in EU-Turkey accession talks while Erdoğan says gov’t will not give away Cyprus. Tension rises...
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01:01 AM
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October 27, 2006
Interior ministers from Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Poland, who attended a two-day UK meeting on 25-26 October 2006, were told by UK Home Secretary and MI5 chief John Reid that terrorism is the "biggest threat to all European nations"....
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October 19, 2006
The launch of Metop, Europe's most sophisticated weather and climate satellite, has been delayed again. MetOp1, a revolutionary state-of-the-art satellite, will be launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan A British anti-EU video.."The EU is a monster that needs to be stopped...
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01:24 AM
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October 17, 2006
A Polish student has won a competition to design a logo for the EU's 50th birthday celebrations next year. EU to celebrate subdued 50th birthday party Heads of state and government will try to advance energy talks with Russia...
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11:57 PM
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