A group of socialist MEPs have just come back from Turkey, where discussions were held with the authorities and the opposition concerning the new chapters that Turkey want to open in their membership negotiations to join the EU.

Schulz aims to make the socialists the interlocutors for Turkey's membership negotiationsSchulz aims to make the socialists the interlocutors for Turkey’s membership negotiations | (mage: PES)Martin Schulz, spokesman for the socialist group in the European parliament, has said ‘it is very important for us that the aim of the talks be full EU membership for Turkey.’ That’s quite a different stance to what the German chancellor,a  conservative, says. With crises ranging from gas, the 2008 summer war in Georgia and the as-yet unresolved Cyprus issue, Turkey could be in a position to demand an acceleration of negotiations.