Open, sesame

last updated 8 January 2015

Ankara, Turkey

Turkey this week finally began formal talks on joining the E.U., a goal it has sought for years. The invitation to join was slow in coming because of concerns over Turkey’s poor human-rights record, as well as some E.U. members’ reluctance to embrace a population of Muslims. The E.U. formally extended an invitation last October. The talks this week focused on harmonizing laws on science and technology, the first of 35 policy areas the E.U. calls “chapters.” Turkey must comply with all E.U. chapters before it can be admitted. The process usually takes a few years; for Turkey it’s expected to last at least a decade.