MEPs have been looking at how Turkey has progressed towards EU membership. We spoke to the author of the report, Dutch EPP member Ria Oomen-Ruijten.

Progress of Turkish reforms

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/15479922/N003-0110-EN.srt

Ria Oomen-Ruijten, we've seen your  report on Turkey's membership progress.

There seem to be blockages along the  way and both sides appear to be at fault.

We started the process  by accepting Turkey

as an accession country,  as a candidate.

But Turkey had to fulfil a commitment  and that was the Copenhagen criteria.

That means democracy, rule of law,  individual and collective rights.

Every year we look over  what has happened.

I could mention justice, judiciary reforms.

If you look at religious freedoms,  many good gestures have been made,

but the real follow-up in legislation  is not there.

with the new constitution,  it will be better next year.

Sarkozy and Merkel have said they  can never see Turkey as an EU-member.

Mr Erdoğan recently said he doesn't want  Turks in Germany to assimilate.

No. There will be elections  in France next year,

in three months  there will be elections in Turkey.

That's one of the reasons  I was even more careful than ever

It's also election rhetoric,  in a good sense.

that France or Germany  have come up with any proposals

which could have unanimous support  to block the negotiations.

In your speech you said the bridge  between Europe and Turkey

needs one pillar anchored  on the European side of the Bosphorus.

What does that mean  and how can it be achieved?

What I wanted to say is that  a good role for Turkey in their region

is of major importance  for the European Union.

It's important for Turkey  because they are all neighbours,

but it's also important  for the European Union.

But if Turkey wants to play  that more important role in the region,

then it should stay connected  to the European Union.

Some MEPs say the talks should be  broken off, the idea should be given up.

They cite the fact that Turkey is friendly  with Hezbollah, Iran, Syria.

Aren't those reasons  why we should get closer to Turkey?

Yes, I think that Turkey can play  an efficient role as mediator...

between the European Union and those  countries which are further away from us.

to stay anchored to the European Union.  That is what I wanted to say.

What about the Cyprus issue?  It hasn't been resolved.

People tend to forget that the invasion  in 1974 wasn't exactly unprovoked.

What I hope will happen or could happen,

with the help of Ban Ki-moon and  perhaps also the European Commission,

a solution for the divided island  will be reached.

If it isn't, it's not only blocking  Greek-Cypriot relations with Turkey,

but it's also blocking many subjects  where we need to have Turkey as an ally,

Ria Oomen-Ruijten,  thank you very much.