The EU’s progress report on Turkey’s accession: still a long way to go

The report came amidst a tense time for Turkey, whose military is itching to go into mountainous northern Iraq where the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a terrorist organisation, has bases from which it makes skirmishes into Turkey. The second government of the Justice and
Development (AK) Party is under increasing domestic pressure to be tougher about the PKK and
from the European Commission to move more quickly on meeting the criteria for full EU membership. The Commission’s demand for a controversial law restricting freedom of expression to be repealed or amended without delay drew a quick response from the government which said it would send a new bill to parliament.

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