Italian FM urges EU not to block Turkey's accession

Italian Foreign Minister Emma Bonino said the European Union (EU) should not block Turkey's accession process. "Talks should instead be relaunched through the opening of chapters on regional policies, fundamental rights and justice," Bonino said in a written statement, urging the EU not to block Ankara's accession process. Expressing that the EU had a responsibility of choosing between "shortsightedness and farsightedness" towards Turkey, she said, "with this is mind, what is required is the speeding up of the negotiations, resisting the instinctive reaction to freeze up when faced with Turkey's hard-line approach." Bonino continued, ''Europe needs a fully democratic Turkey within its borders, not outside of them. This is the goal to be pursued. And Turkey, as can be seen by looking at the country's history of the past ten years, needs - today more than ever - the beneficial effects of European stimulus.'' She also added, "Had the EU opened the chapters on regional policies, fundamental rights and justice in the past, it would have much more leverage over Turkey now." She warned, "if we make the mistake of complicating Ankara's accession process, Europe will lose future credibility at the international level."