AHI Assesses Findings of European Commission’s “Turkey 2012 Progress Report”WASHINGTON, DC —“The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) released its assessment of the European Commission’s 2012 report on progress made by Turkey in preparing for European Union membership. The 94-page report covers on the period from October 2011 to September 2012. “Overall, the American Hellenic Institute agrees with the findings in the 2012 Progress Report on Turkey,” AHI President Nick Larigakis said. “However, the report contained omissions where we felt analysis was needed.” The European Commission’s Progress Report presents Turkey’s progress in several issue areas, including: human rights and the protection of minorities, freedom of expression, freedom of thought, conscience and religion; and regional issues and international obligations of which Cyprus and peaceful settlement border disputes with Greece are included. AHI’s assessment of the progress report largely welcomed the EC’s findings, but it did note a few instances where it lacked analysis or commentary. For example, one AHI critique of the progress report was that it failed to provide commentary or a statement as to the ramifications of Turkey’s decision to freeze relations with the EU Presidency for six months when Cyprus assumed the Council presidency on July 1, 2012. In addition, AHI would have welcomed a Commission position that expressed disapproval of a “Continental shelf delimitation agreement” signed between Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot community with regard to exploratory drilling off the coast of Cyprus.
The American Hellenic Institute is an independent non-profit Greek American public policy center that works to strengthen relations between the United States and Greece and Cyprus, and within the Greek American community. ### For additional information, please contact Georgea Polizos at (202) 785-8430 or at pr@ahiworld.org. For general information about the activities of AHI, please see our website at https://www.ahiworld.org. |
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AHI Assesses Findings of European Commission’s “Turkey 2012 Progress Report”
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