Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan must have been surprised upon hearing remarks by the Nobel Committee last week relating to his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) as the European Union was being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Referring to Turkey as a country that is important for world peace, the Nobel Committee also appeared to suggest that the AKP is on course in terms of Ankara’s EU bid.

“After the new government, headed by the AKP, won a clear parliamentary majority, the aim of EU membership provided a guideline for the process of reform in Turkey. There can be no doubt that this has contributed to strengthening the development of democracy there," declared the chairman of the Nobel Committee, Thorbjørn Jagland.

The real surprise, however, is that these remarks come when EU reforms in Turkey have seriously stalled and Ankara’s ties with Brussels are caught in the doldrums. This year’s progress report, prepared by the European Commission for candidate countries, was in fact the worst for many years, underlining Ankara’s lack of democratic progress.