Turkish EU membership to cost up to 28bn per year

Oh, and they're still torturing people, but relax: the torture is not "systematic." From EUObserver.com, with thanks to Ali Dashti:

Turkey's membership of the European Union could cost up to 28 billion euro per year, a European Commission impact assessment study has said.

Reported on in several German newspapers, the study says that Ankara's joining the 25-nation Union would be a "challenge with great opportunities for both sides".

However, the report, which next week will be used as a basis for Commissioners to decide whether to recommend Turkey start membership negotiations, warns that once Turkey is in the EU, it could cost up to 27.9 billion euro annually.

Assuming that Turkey joins in 2015, under current EU law it would be entitled to net transfers from between 22.1 to 33.5 billion euro a year from 2025.

Ankara itself would have to pay 5.6 billion euro to Brussels meaning a net payment to Turkey of 27.9 billion euro.

The Süddeutsche reports on a second paper that looks at the situation in Turkey itself.

Here the report concludes that Turkey has "substantially neared European standards" but that there continues to be numerous cases of torture and maltreatment, however, it says that torture is no longer "systematic".