By Martin Banks - 9th September 2009
The EU has been urged to end the "vicious circle" which is now said to overshadow Turkey's efforts to join the EU.
The message comes in a major new report by the so-called Independent Commission on Turkey, made up of some of Europe's most prominent political figures.
The report, the second to be issued by the body, says that support in Turkey has "faded" for both the EU accession process and the implementation of "difficult and sometimes expensive" reforms.
"Lack of Turkish reforms triggered more European opposition to Turkey's accession.
"The sense of being excluded further demoralised Turkish reformers, thus creating a vicious circle."
It goes on, "This vicious circle is now undermining the many achievements over the past decade inspired by Turkey's convergence with the EU."
The commission is made up of nine EU experts, including Martti Ahtisaari, a former president of Finland, Emma Bonino, a former EU commissioner and EU affairs minister in Italy and former French PM Michel Rocard.
It also included former Polish MEP Bronislaw Geremek who was killed in a road crash last year.
In its first report in 2004, the body called for accession talks to opened "without delay".
The latest report was presented at a packed conference, organised by the European Policy Centre, in Brussels on Monday.
The commission stress that its report should not be seen as duplicating the European commission's forthcoming annual progress report on accession states.
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