Turkey's hopes run high for Hungary's EU term presidency

Turkey's hopes run high for Hungary's EU term presidency.Turkish officials have expressed optimism about moving ahead with the country’s EU accession negotiations during the Hungarian term presidency despite a lack of progress under previous EU president Belgium.“Hungary has already taken its first step to support Turkey’s EU membership,” State Minister Egemen Bağış, Turkey’s chief EU negotiator, told daily Sabah on Sunday. “It will organize a ministerial summit for the candidate countries Jan. 13 in Hungary. Candidate countries, including Turkey, will come together for the first time since 2005.When asked about his expectations from the Hungarian term presidency, Bağış recalled a meeting he held last year with Hungarian President Pal Schmitt. “He told me: ‘Normally I do not meet with ministers. You are the first one in this category. There is a reason for this,’” Bağış said. “‘Your ancestors who ruled our country in the past did not intervene in either our religion or our language. They approached us with tolerance.’”According to Bağış, the Hungarian president promised to back Turkey’s EU bid just as Turkey supported Hungary’s NATO membership.Hmmmm.....Meanwhile some of the EU doubts if Hungary is even qualified to lead the EU.The European Union’s charter calls for respect for the rule of law, human rights, economic progress and media freedom. Some in Brussels are wondering whether Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whose country takes over the rotating EU presidency on Jan. 1, has read it. I guess the choice of your friends says a lot about one?Read the full story here.