The Turkish ambassador to the EU has said that the European Union will no longer have a key role in Turkish reform efforts because there is no clear perspective of accession. Ambassador Selim Kuneralp went on to say that the European commission's recommendations would be taken into account, but there didn't seem to be any real reason for Turkey aligning its legislation towards the somewhat restrictive standards imposed by the EU.
The current prime minister won a historic third consecutive term in power, and part of his manifesto was a promise to rewrite Turkey's military era constitution. It's possible that changes to the constitution could allow the current Parliamentary system to transition into a presidential system. Apparently the EU is worried about this development, even though France already has this type of constitution.
There are only a few chapters remaining for negotiation, but accession talks have come to a halt as the commission opted not to open the competition chapter due to opposition from several EU member states. Negotiations on eight chapters were suspended in 2008 due to Turkey’s refusal to open ports and airports to Greek Cyprus. France is blocking five chapters as it opposes Turkey joining the EU on cultural grounds. The remaining chapters are the trickiest to negotiate and require candidates to agree to considerable concessions.
Kuneralp feels that the EU is under considerable strain due to its financial problems, and that it lacks a coherent vision over its foreign policy. When it comes to Turkish foreign policy Ankara isn't worried by Western concerns over its closeness to Iran, and points out that Iran is its next-door neighbour and it's obviously in its best interest to talk and trade with the country.
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