Turkish PM hopes for faster EU integration

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared that his country is awaiting a faster EU accession process.

Erdogan’s comment came after Turkey began on Tuesday its 22nd round of EU accession negotiations called Chapter 22 on regional policy and coordination of structural Instruments.

“We have initiatives for the chapters which have been opened and not closed yet,” Erdogan said.

“We hope these unclosed chapters will be closed soon,” he added.

EU accession negotiations with Turkey began on 3 October 2005,18 years after the country applied.

In its 2013 progress report on Turkey published in October, the European Commission criticized the country’s government for its “uncompromising stance in the face of dissent” and use of “excessive force” by police in May and June, but urged the 28 EU states to give new impetus to ties with Turkey by resuming the talks.