Turkey's key goal is EU membership: analyst

"The main policy direction of Turkey is the Caucasus and the Middle East, but its main goal in foreign policy is membership to the EU," a professor at the University of Ishik, Bulent Aras, told Trend News over telephone from Ankara.

Negotiations on Turkey's entrance to the EU started in 2005. Experts predict that Turkey will be able to achieve this within 10-15 years.

The EU has repeatedly demanded Turkey to accelerate democratic reforms envisaged in the negotiating process, threatening to freeze talks on integration. In response, Ankara said it makes efforts for the active implementation of reforms and integration.

Turkey's State Minister and the head of the Turkish delegation to negotiations on country's entrance to the EU Egemen Bahysh said in last press conference that Turkey will soon become a member of the European Union. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmed Davudoglu also said that the country will soon become a full EU member. "If the EU would open its door to Turkey, it could become a very strong organization in the region," he said.

Aras said unlike many countries of the East, the foreign policy of Turkey meets the common interests of the state, rather than any party.

"The foreign policy of Turkey is fully democratic and it is supported by all political parties," he said.

Turkey should pursue a balanced policy, said Aras. If a country does not have balance in foreign policy, it could lead to an internal crisis at least. 

"If the ruling party makes a mistake in foreign policy, other political parties will have to correct them. Discussion of the political mistakes of Turkish government comes from democracy in the country," said Aras.

In addition, the Turkish expert believes that the discussion of political mistakes do not mean the absence of a stable foreign policy. 

/Trend News/