EU info centers to be replaced with new ones

Rumors that two European Union Information Centers were closed due to the slow pace of accession negotiations have been denied by officials and academics who say Turkey is still enthusiastic about joining the European bloc.

The information centers, which were located in Ankara and Istanbul, aimed to inform the general public about the EU. Both were closed down in October and have not re-opened.

Sources close to the Delegation of the European Commission to Turkey said contracts with the previous centers were valid for four years and were not re-signed with the same agencies after they expired because new organizations are being planned for the future.

The sources added that new information centers will be organized under the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges, or TOBB, and the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, or ITO, and are expected to open in December.

Rumors that the centers’ closure was the result of the slow progress in Turkey-EU relations, and a lack of excitement about the EU accession process among the Turkish people, have subsided as a result. Both sources close to the EU delegation and experts said they have not noticed any negative change in Turkey-EU relations.

“On the contrary, people and firms in Turkey have shown considerable interest in the EU recently,” said Zeynep Göğüş, an expert on the European Union. “For instance, Euroactive Turkey’s Web site reader numbers increased to 60,000 in two years. This is a good example that people’s attention to issues regarding the EU is increasing in Turkey.”

Noting that both the Secretariat General for EU Affairs and the Foreign Ministry are preparing a communication strategy for EU issues in Turkey, and that the EU has a separate communication project in Turkey, Göğüş added: “When we consider all these efforts, it is possible to say that relations and communication between the EU and Turkey will improve in the upcoming months.”

Sources close to the delegation said it had increased its information and communication facilities in Turkey over the past five years. “The budget allocated to Turkey’s communication activities increased 5 percent in 2009,” said the same source, who preferred to remain anonymous.

There are currently 15 EU information centers in Turkey, in the provinces of İzmir, Adana, Mersin, Trabzon, Gaziantep, Samsun, Diyarbakır, Van, Konya, Şanlıurfa, Denizli, Kayseri, Edirne and Bursa. The first center was opened in 1996 in Gaziantep.

Restructuring of the Secretariat General for EU Affairs is expected to happen soon based on Minister for EU Affairs Egemen Bağış’ statement that more personnel and a new structure is necessary.

“I believe the organization of the EU Information Centers is changing in this regard,” said Gökşen Çalışkan, the editor of Euractive.com.tr.

Haluk Kabaalioğlu, the head of the Economic Development Foundation, or IKV, said the enthusiasm of Turkish people toward the EU is decreasing, especially when the leaders of some EU member countries give negative messages about Turkey’s accession.

However, Kabaalioğlu believes that when the accession process and talks start to improve, the general public and businesspeople in Turkey will immediately regain interest in the issue.