International Organizations

EU officials assure Turkey over accession

By AFP

From AFP:  EU officials assured Turkey Tuesday over its troubled bid to join the bloc and praised the country’s growing regional role after claims the lagging progress was pushing Ankara away from the West. The commitment came after a meeting in Istanbul between EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton, enlargement commissioner Stefan Fule, Turkish Foreign […]

“Battle Royal” Over Internet Privacy: The View from Europe

By Scott Bleiweis

At the Atlantic Council last week, U.S. and EU officials pledged to work together on creating a common framework to regulate data sharing and privacy protection between them. But if it is to be put into practice, such an effort will have to overcome significant challenges and differing perspectives on these issues.

Europe Staring Into Abyss?

By James Joyner

An Economist leader on the future of Europe is titled "Staring Into the Abyss."

Ahmet Davutoglu: ‘We Are a Part of the West’

By Newsweek

Former top Russian spy Sergei Tretyakov dies at 53

By Brett Zongker, the AP

Obama welcomes EU renewal of terrorist finance tracking agreement

By Barack Obama, the White House

From Barack Obama, the White House:  The United States welcomes today’s decision by the European Parliament to join the Council and Commission of the European Union in approving a revised agreement between the United States and the European Union on the processing and transfer of financial messaging data for the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program (TFTP).

EU takes ‘historic’ step on new diplomatic service

By Andrew Rettman, the EUobserver

From Andrew Rettman, the EUobserver:  Foreign relations chief Catherine Ashton will turn her attention to choosing the top officials and the main building for the European External Action Service (EEAS) after the EU Parliament approved the legal blueprint for the new body.

Former Foreign Minister: ‘Germany has found its place as Europe’s number one’

By Charlemagne, the Economist

From Charlemagne, the Economist:  Insults are being lobbed back and forth across the Rhine. The French cannot stop themselves from provoking the Germans.

Obama sees Turkey turning eastward if snubbed by EU

By Reuters

From Reuters:  Turkey could end up seeking alliances outside the West if the European Union keeps it dangling over its bid for membership, U.S. President Barack Obama said in a newspaper interview on Thursday. Obama told Italy’s Corriere della Sera the United States believed it would be wise for the European Union to accept Turkey, […]

NATO chief slams EU over ‘unfair’ Turkish treatment

By AFP

From AFP:  NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen criticized the European Union on Wednesday for what he called its "unfair" treatment of Turkey, writing in the Danish center-left daily Politiken. The NATO secretary-general advised the EU to "take a series of pragmatic steps to improve relations with Turkey, entirely outside the negotiations" between Ankara and Brussels […]