The Turkish national football team found itself in the unlikely position of semi-finalist in the European Championship before being despatched homewards in a display that illustrated Germany’s lack of sentimentality. Despite currently playing some largely irrelevant extra time, a similar result is on the cards for Turkey’s bid to gain another European trophy — accession to the EU. On June 17, the EU opened two new “chapters” of accession talks with Turkey at the fifth Turkey-EU Intergovernmental Conference in Luxembourg. Eight of the 35 chapters have now been opened since Ankara became an official membership candidate in December 2004. So far one, on science and research, has been closed and 15 suspended, ostensibly over Turkey’s refusal to allow ships and airplanes from the Republic of Cyprus, an EU member state, into its ports and airports. France, with German support, has been particularly active in blocking the advancement of negotiations. “I
