The members of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the EU Parliament "are in favour of opening negotiations" between the EU and Turkey "about energy". Two years after the recognition of the status of applicant country and one year after the opening of negotiations with Ankara, such negotiations must still be regarded as "a starting point in an open process". These are two passages from the resolution passed by the Parliamentary Commission, which will be discussed and voted on by the plenary session in Strasbourg in late October. A position that is bound to be reflected in the Yearly Report on the progress of Turkey, in the run-up to its accession to the EU, which will be submitted by the EU Commission on November 7th. According to the report drawn up by the Dutch MEP Ria Oomen-Ruijten, the Assembly "congratulates Turkey on the recent presidential election", "the Government’s commitment to carry out reforms" and "the intention to pass a new civil constitution that will protect the fundamental right and freedoms". Further progress is instead expected to be made about its relations with Cyprus, the judicial reform, the fight against corruption, the respect of rights (an express condemnation concerns the murder of the Italian missionary, Father Andrea Santoro, and the Turkish journalist of Armenian origin, Hrant Dink), the protection of minorities.
