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Doubts surround Turkey’s efforts to revive its EU membership bid

A Western diplomat says Ankara is unlikely to enact democratic reforms that would ease President Erdogan’s grip on power.
(FromL) Turkish Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak and Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu give a press conference after a "Reform Action Group" meeting held by the Presidency of the European Union at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ankara on August 29, 2018. (Photo by ADEM ALTAN / AFP)        (Photo credit should read ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Turkey appears to have rediscovered its European vocation as its ties with the United States go from bad to worse. Ankara is trying to revive its EU membership perspective now, and to this end last week convened its dormant Reform Action Group.

The group, comprising key government ministers, vowed to speed up political, legal and economic reforms required for EU membership.

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