EU Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Füle said on Wednesday that  there is no consensus on Turkey's membership and added that the process is only at the very beginning despite the long period of negotiations. Füle told the European Parliament the priority is to focus on the membership process and that Turkey should share the EU's values. The Parliament discussed and passed the annual EU report on Turkey.

Füle added that the way to get Turkey closer to the EU is to make the membership negotiations “sustainable” and put them “on track.”

European Union Affairs Minister Lucinda Creighton (Ireland holds presidency of the EU) said that Turkey and the EU have not reached the full potential in their relations. Creighton added that the EU expects Ankara to write a new constitution and make reforms in basic rights and freedom of expression. Creighton also said that the EU Parliament knows well that the new settlement process aiming to solve the long-standing Kurdish issue is very sensitive and that they support it.

Helene Flautre, the co-chairwoman of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) said the European Union cannot fully fathom the importance of dialogue between the Turkish government and jailed Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan. She insisted the EU should provide more support to the settlement process.

European Parliament Turkey rapporteur Ria Oomen-Ruijten, who wrote the report, said during the session that there have been some positive reforms lately in Turkey but they are not sufficient.