Steven Vanackere welcomes the outcome of the referendum on constitutional reform in Turkey
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Steven Vanackere welcomes the outcome of the Turkish referendum on constitutional reform held this past weekend. Turkish voters have in this way been able to voice their support for constitutional change that will strengthen their rights and freedoms.
The constitutional amendments that can now be enacted represent significant steps towards improving the way that Turkey functions as a democracy.
As President of the Council of the European Union, Belgium is committed to advancing the process of Turkey’s accession to the European Union, which was officially launched in October 2005. For Turkey, this referendum is a new step forward in the application of the membership criteria. Naturally, much will depend on the way in which the new rules are applied, and this milestone should above all serve to encourage the Turkish government to further its efforts in this area, together with Turkish civil society.
Steven Vanackere looks forward to collaborating in the weeks to come with his Turkish colleagues on preparing for the evaluation in December, based on the annual report of the European Commission on the progress made within the framework of the process of accession. In any case, last Sunday’s referendum is an encouraging signal to all parties concerned to renew their engagement in bringing Turkey and the European Union closer together. Steven Vanackere hopes that the Turkish government in Ankara will make a sustained effort to follow through with the necessary reforms.
