POSITION PAPER: PORTUGAL
Executive Summary
Portugal’s recommendations about Turkey to the European Council:
– Keep supporting Turkey to joining the European Union and encourage the European Council to guide Turkey during this difficult but affordable process.
– Portugal consider geographical and strategic position of Turkey as a key for European Union, taking their borders furthereast and obtaining an important position for trade with eastern countries.
– Turkey has an important strategic position in conflicts involving the European Union such as exists in Cyprus, nuclear safety with respect to Iran and the Palestine-Israel conflict.
– Portugal supports the adherence of Turkey based on its own integration into the EU and the benefits that this union would have toboth parts.
– The present problems argued against this joining can totally be solved and we can study examples of other member countries that are now senior members of the European Union or young members who strive for the progress of the European Union.
– Turkey has shown its intention to make efforts to be accepted as a member, following the “acquis” established by the European Union.Introduction of Portugal position
The integral position of Portugal regarding the accession of Turkey to the European Union is fully supportive and consistent. Our country, as a veteran member of the European Union, does not intend to say “yes” without providing any solution to the problems encountered in the adhesion process of Turkey as new member of the European Union.
From our point of view,we consider Turkey as a great future trade member state. We think that the European Union and Portugal specifically, has not taken enough advantage of the commercial relationship with Turkey. Portugal has trade with Turkey 15, 5 millions € in exports and 25, 3 million € in imports[1] in 2007. Turkey is a trade partner but it is so far from its potential. The volume of trades with Portugal and therest of EU members would growth immensely with the joining of Turkish nation, which will become a key trade partner and a huge potential market for companies from every European Union member state.
It is absolutely fundamental the cooperation with Turkey in the future of energy sector, giving priority to Nabucco pipeline project to obtain natural gas from the Caspian Sea to Europe from the year2014[2]. This project shows the number of collaborations that can engage with Turkey in the future as a member of the EU. This kind of projects will make our zone energetically independent from Russia, a country which uses this position as energy provider to take advantage in international negotiations.
Internal reasons of Portugal to support Turkey’s adhesion (only for use by Portuguesedelegation, not for negotiation)
– Portugal needs a stronger “Mediterranean connection” in the EU. Turkish presence in the European Union main bodies will tip the balance in favor of the interests of Portugal.
– Turkey’s adhesion would allow a perpetuation of the Common Agricultural Policy, which would benefit greatly to Portugal.
– The geographical situation of Portugal makes us moreenergetically dependents of Russia. We are one of the last countries to receive the energy, which has to cross the whole continent to get into Portuguese territory. An additional energy source from a member state to make Portugal more energetically autonomous is always welcome and necessary.
– In the last meeting[3], on May 11th of the present year, the Portuguese president Anibal Cavaco Silvareached a non public agreement with the Turkish Prime Minister Abdullah Gül to give preferential position to Portuguese companies in the sectors of construction of infrastructures in Turkey, after the adhesion.
Discussion points and arguments for the meeting.
Islamism
We know that Turkey is an Islamic country, like Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina, which (by the way) are potentials European…
