More than a decade after being accepted as a candidate, and half a century after it first stated it intended to join, Turkey's bid for EU membership remains stalled.

History: Turkey and the EU

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/15762195/v001-0017-en_mf.srt

The Association Agreement  between Turkey and the EEC,

forerunner of the EU,  was signed in 1963,

paving the way  towards a customs union.

Turkey saw a European future.  It joined the Council of Europe in 1949,

signed the European Convention  on Human Rights in 1950

Turkey had taken a first step towards  membership, but it still has work to do.

You need a democracy,  which Turkey has.

You need both an independent  and impartial justice system,

without which you could never  fight corruption.

We witnessed that  with previous candidate countries.

Finally, individual and collective rights,  in all their aspects,

have to be implemented  in your society or country.

Opponents of Turkish membership  say that only 10% of it is in Europe.

But Cyprus is as far east as Ankara  and it's an obstacle.

Turkey invaded in July 1974  following a coup by Greek Cypriots

and the expulsion of Turks  from the north of the island.

In the 1970s and '80s, there were periods  of military rule in Turkey

and attacks by Kurdish separatists  from 1984 led to a military crackdown.

In 1999 Turkey was declared  a candidate country at the Helsinki Council.

Negotiations began on 3 October 2005,  but foundered on Turkey's refusal

to extend its Association Agreement  to Cyprus.

The EU froze negotiations  until Turkey opens its ports and airports

to traffic from Cyprus.  It still hasn't.

We have to be sensitive  in the European Union

to the fact that there is deep bitterness  and division on both sides.

This is a situation of conflict  and Europe should do what it can do best,

which is to promote conflict resolution,  to promote reconciliation,

to see a way that there can be a solution  on the island of Cyprus itself.

There is also the issue of some  1.5 million Armenians killed during WWI.

Turkey denies Armenia's claims  of genocide

and attempts at reconciliation  have stalled.

Ankara's foreign policy has become  more assertive with Israel and Syria

and it sent warships to protect  gas drilling interests off Cyprus.

But Turkey and the EU  can help each other.

The PKK constitutes  a major problem in Turkey,

but where does it  get its funding from?

From criminal activities in our countries.

It's happening at our end and we should  reinforce each other in that area.

Economically, Turkey is doing well.  It's strategically important,

also as a route for a gas pipeline  from Azerbaijan.

But it's also an Islamic country.  Council President Herman Van Rompuy

and French President Nicolas Sarkozy  have both said it will never join the EU,

and less than half of Turkey's  74-million population still want to.

After such a long engagement, marriage  requires commitment on both sides.

I think there is a need for solidarity and  self-discipline within the European Union.

We're asking Turkey  to do some very hard things,

some of which are unpopular  with their own domestic population.

So for Europe to be less than honest  and open itself is frankly unforgiveable.

As long as Turkey's problems with Cyprus  continue, progress is impossible.

The waters that divide much of Turkey  from Europe can be very choppy indeed.