Daily Sabah: Is the skirmish between Turkey and the EU serious?

After the very harsh statements from both sides, Turkish and EU authorities would be well advised to keep silent for a time and try to mend what can be. The EU's December summit cautiously avoided addressing Turkey directly, leaving this duty to the Council of Ministers for General Affairs, in whose report Turkey has been duly admonished, albeit in very diplomatic terms. Still, if Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu keeps his agenda to visit Brussels in January, the tense atmosphere might somehow be alleviated.

The conclusions of the Council of Ministers for General Affairs on enlargement are eloquent enough to show Turkey a very arduous way toward a more and more hypothetical membership. On the other hand, Balkan countries are given almost carte blanche regarding the political will of the EU for their ultimate membership.

In itself, this is a very bold and courageous move on the part of the EU to give Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and perhaps Kosovo a very important impulse for restructuring and reforming their democracies.
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