Europe's desire to play the role of a great power might miss the opportunities that Turkey's application to access to the EU is providing her with: An intermediary for its influence with the Muslim world, a strengthened ability in foreign policy allowing to fall on diverse regions such as the Middle East, the Caucasus, Central Asia where energy supply and other strategic issues are at stake, etc. Europe must pull itself together and stop blocking the Turkish dossier, failing which, it will lose an invaluable partner. This is what a group of key European figures is calling for, including the 2008 Nobel price and former Finnish president Martti Ahtissaari, the former French prime minister Michel Rocard and the former European commissioner Emma Bonino. The former Polish minister Bronislaw Geremek, who died in 2008, had taken part in this working group too. In December 2004, Europe has decided to launch accession negotiations with Turkey of which the rank as an applicant to access to the EU had been formally acknowledged in 1999 and whose application goes back... 1963. How is the accession process to be rescued? In a report published on the 7th of September, the independent Commission on Turkey points at the extent to which things are locked as half of the negotiation chapters with Turkey are frozen. The report calls for an exit in that "vicious circle" that arose in the last few years. Indeed, all the rejection messages regarding its application gives Turkey the impression that it will never be welcomed in the EU even if it was able to meet all the accession criteria. This has contributed to slowing down national reforms in the country and ended the more auspicious period from 2000 to 2005 where the prospect of accessing to the EU powerfully triggered internal transformations. In return, the slow progress resulting from the above fueled opposition to Turkey's accession amongst some of the Europeans...And thus it comes full circle. To come out of that loop, Europe must be responsible for its own commitments and treaties. The independent Commission draws up a severe indictment of politicians who speak against Turkey for electoral purposes. Critic is made of those who recommended a special partnership as a substitute for accession. The partnership is criticized as a "populist excuse", a vague phrase, which has never been clarified by anyone. In 2008 Turkey conformed to the line of 109 out of 124 EU common statements. An important ally, it is involved in the EU assignments in Bosnia, Kosovo and its army is present in Afghanistan. The report describes its regional policy as a significant asset for the EU if it wants to carry out its ambitions in foreign policy. Read Le Monde's article here.