31.05.2016 Ankara
The Turkish Branch of the Turkey – EU Joint Consultative Committee, comprised of the presidents of TOBB, TESK, TÜRK-İŞ, TZOB, TİSK, MEMUR-SEN, TÜRKİYE KAMU-SEN and HAK-İŞ, in a joint proclamation, congratulated Ömer Çelik on his appointment as EU Minister and Chief Negotiator.
The congratulatory message is as follows:
“As the Presidents of TOBB, TESK, TÜRK-İŞ, TZOB, TİSK, MEMUR-SEN,
TÜRKİYE KAMU-SEN and HAK-İŞ which together form the Turkey – EU Joint
Consultative Committee (JCC) Turkish Branch, we congratulate Mr. Ömer Çelik on his
appointment as EU Minister and Chief Negotiator of the 65th Term
Turkish Government.
Mr. Çelik’s appointment as EU Minister is a reiteration of Turkey’s
excitement in regards to the EU accession process. We, the Turkish Branch of
the Turkey – EU Joint Consultative Committee, expect that this will result in
tangible gains in Turkey – EU relations. We are ready to provide all the
support necessary.
Turkey’s EU accession process continues to be the primary anchor of
Turkey’s financial and political transformation. We are pleased to observe that
a significant momentum has been achieved recently in this regard. Faster
progress in the accession process is pleasing to us as Turkey’s professional
organizations, syndicate confederations and civil society organizations.
In this regard, it is of the utmost importance that the efforts aimed
towards the lifting of visas be completed as soon as possible. Success in this field will mean significant
ground gained in Turkey’s EU membership process.
Starting negotiations in regards to expanding the Customs Union’s scope
as well as eliminating obstacles to its effective function should be considered
on a technical basis; adapting the customs union to current conditions and the
expansion of its scope is mutually beneficial for Turkey and the EU.
In the future, we hope that the negotiations on chapters regarding
energy, education, culture, justice and basic rights, freedoms and security as
well as employment and social policy are initiated without further ado.
We are following the negotiations taking place in Cyprus closely. The
finalization of negotiations there will contribute greatly to Turkey’s
membership process.
Therefore, a process which will contribute greatly to Turkey’s
transformation is ahead of us. We will always stand by the Minister throughout
this process; our desire to work together and to provide support will continue
to persist as it has until now.”
Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) was formed on 16 November 1995 in
accordance with the Article 25 of the Ankara Agreement. The Comity aims to
promote dialogue and cooperation between the economic and social interest
groups in the European Community and Turkey and to facilitate the
institutionalization of the partners of that dialogue in Turkey.
Joint Consultative Comity has a mixed, cooperative and a two-winged
structure comprised of an equal number of representatives in the three
categories of employers, workers and interest groups split between EU and
Turkey wings. It has 36 members in total, composed of 18 Turkish and 18 EU
representatives and it has two elected co-chairmen, one from the Turkish side
and the other from the EU side. It holds two regular meetings annually and
issues a statement following each.