European Parliament approves Turkey Accession Report

The European Parliament approved Wednesday Turkey’s 2014 progress report towards EU accession.

The report was adopted by 432 votes in favor, 94 against and 127 abstentions.

Ankara to return EP report on Turkey (Volkan Bozkır, Turkish EU Minister)

Ankara will return the European Parliament (EP) report on Turkey, the European Union affairs minister said.

“We don’t accept the report and will return it,” Volkan Bozkır told reporters on June 10.

Turkey objects to 1915, PKK points in EU progress report

Turkey’s EU Minister Volkan Bozkir has warned the European Parliament against approving its latest annual progress report on the country with references to the 1915 events and the PKK terrorist group. 

EU-Turkey: Meeting new Minister V. Bozkır in Brussels. (Turkey announces new EU strategy)

European Commission, Press release, Brussels, 18 September 2014:

Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Štefan Füle met the new Turkish Minister of European Affairs and the Chief Negotiator Volkan Bozkır in Brussels today. It was their first meeting since the appointment of Mr Bozkir to his current position and it offered an opportunity to exchange views on EU-Turkey relations in general and on the accession process of Turkey, including the upcoming Progress report.

74 civilians killed in Ukraine's Donetsk region over three days. (Kiev claimed major progress...)

At least 74 civilians were killed in clashes between government forces and independence-seeking insurgents in Ukraine's Donetsk region over the past three days, local authorities said Thursday.

According to the press service of Donetsk City Council, another 116 people were wounded as a result of fighting since Monday.

On Thursday afternoon, two civilians were killed and seven injured in Donetsk city, one of the rebel strongholds, when artillery fire hit several buildings in the residential area, the press service said in a statement.

FYROM News: FYROM PM Gruevski in Brussels on the progress report and the name dispute.

Skopje, October 22, 2013
On Friday, Premier Nikola Gruevski will stay in Brussels in a meeting with the European commissioner for enlargement, Stefan Fule.

The Prime Minister’s cabinet informs that the issue of the name dispute is part of the agenda of talks along with the progress report on FYROM for 2013.

On the other hand, Mr. Fule’s spokesman, Peter Stano said that on Friday, Gruevski will be able to talk about the progress report and on the ways to find a solution to the name dispute.

Gezi puts its mark on EU Progress Report. -The report also criticized government attacks on press freedom.

The European Union released its progress report on Turkey yesterday, with anti-government Gezi protests in June putting a mark on crucial parts of the document, including democracy and the rule of law, financial services and media.

The report also highlights a number of important steps taken by Turkey over the past 12 months, notably the adoption of a fourth judicial reform package and the start of a peace process to end militancy and violence in the southeast of the country. 

EU Brokers End to F.Y.R.O.M.' s Election Crisis.... A deal has been struck to end the political crisis, EU representatives said in Skopje on Friday, following talks with F.Y.R.O.M.'s feuding leaders.

FYROM's opposition has agreed to end its parliamentary boycott and take part in local elections slated for later this month.

The government has agreed to launch talks with the opposition on defining a date for an early general election after the end of the local election, and to start a debate about democratic freedoms in the country.
Meanwhile, a commission of experts should investigate the incident in parliament on December 24 that triggered the political crisis. The findings will inform an important European Commission report on FYROM due in spring.

Fuele Knocks Heads Together in F.Y.R.O.M.

Štefan Füle και F.Y.R.O.M.

The EU Enlargement Commissioner, Stefan Fuele, on Wednesday paid an unannounced visit to FYROM, where he apparently urged leaders to resolve the ongoing political crisis and focus on the EU agenda.
Commissioner Fuele met President Gjorge Ivanov, the Prime Minister, Nikola Gruevski and the opposition Social Democrat leader, Branko Crvenkovski, but the contents of their conversations have not been divulged and no statements were issued.
An unnamed source from the government told MIA news agency that Gruevski and Fuele discussed “the upcoming [EU] progress report on FYROM and the June summit of the European Union” as well as “the Euro-agenda and reforms, including recent developments in relation to the opposition boycott [of parliament]”.