Turkey to create EU ministry

Turkey is to establish a European Union ministry after June 12 parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday.

“The ministry of the EU will coordinate the affairs for Turkey’s EU bid,” Erdogan said in his televised remarks at his party’s headquarters in Ankara. 

Out of the 35 policy chapters that candidate countries must negotiate, Turkey has opened talks on only 13.

Eight chapters remain frozen as a sanction to Turkey’s refusal to open its ports to Greek Cypriot vessels under a trade pact with the EU, with France blocking several others in line with its vocal opposition to Turkey’s accession.