ANKARA - Justice Minister and Government Spokesman Cemil Cicek said on Monday that the European Union (EU) was a target which had vital importance for Turkey.
Releasing a statement after the Council of Ministers meeting, Cicek said that Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul informed the council regarding his contacts about EU during the meeting.
Noting that there was a positive atmosphere in EU countries in favor of Turkey, Cicek said, ''EU is a target which has a vital importance for Turkey.'' He added that Parliament would work overtime, if it was necessary regarding the laws to be adopted in line with this target.
Cicek said that social security and health services issues were also taken up during the meeting. He added that people, who had social security insurance from Social Security Agency (SSK), could go to medical units of Health Ministry and civil servants could use medical units of SSK as of July 1.
CICEK: NATIONAL PROGRAM WILL PROBABLY BE ANNOUNCED IN MID-JUNE
Cicek said that national program would probably be made public in the middle of June.
Cicek said that the EU issue was taken up in the first part of the meeting. He added that Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul explained his impressions to the council about his contacts and he conveyed that there was a positive atmosphere in EU countries in favor of Turkey and this atmosphere caused change in attitude not only in social democrat circles but also in conservative circles which were against Turkey's membership to EU. Noting that the amount of foreign capital inflow to Turkey was very low, Cicek said that Turkey was exerting efforts to encourage foreign capital input, but receiving the expected result from this encouragement and having political and economic stability in middle and long term were very important for that circles. He added that Turkey's political and economic stability in middle and long term depended mainly on EU and the government was determined in this issue.
Cicek said that EU was a target which had vital importance for Turkey, adding that return from this target was out of question.
Cicek said that national program would probably be announced to public opinion in the middle of June and Parliament would work overtime, if it was necessary, regarding the laws to be adopted in line with the program.
Cicek said that they also took up problems seen in social security and health services in the cabinet meeting. ''Giving social security and social service to everybody is among our issues of priority as the government and the AK party,'' said Cicek.
Cicek said that the government aimed to integrate social security institutions under one roof, adding that if this was ensured, standard unity would be provided among social security institutions and an integrated social security network would be formed. He stressed that the government also aimed to have a general health insurance system.
''As of July 1, Health Ministry and Social Insurance Agency (SSK)'s medical units will be open to common use of people. Citizens who have social security insurance from Social Security Agency (SSK), could go to medical units of Health Ministry and citizens who have social security insurance from State Employees Pension Fund or Self-Employed Pension Fund can apply to SSK medical units...Ministry of Labour and Social Security and Finance and Health Ministry will make an announcement on the issue with a protocol in the coming days.''
CICEK: DISCUSSION ON 6TH ADJUSTMENT PACKAGE IS NOT RELATED WITH NSC MEETING
Upon a question asking when the Sixth Adjustment Package would be submitted to Parliament and whether a change would be made especially in the part regarding places of worship, Cicek said that their prior issue was National Program (NP), because it covered the commitments of Turkey, adding that they had to fulfill the commitments of Turkey in the coming 15-16 months.
Cicek said that they sent a draft regarding the Sixth Adjustment Package and as it was a draft, some parts could be changed, but they would not make a general change.
Cicek said that there was a misunderstanding earlier about the places of worship and he added that what they did was taking a de facto situation under discipline in the Sixth Adjustment Package. He said that they aimed to show the places where people from different religions and faiths could build their places of worship in development plans and so a similar practice like the one in Europe could be provided in Turkey.
Cicek said that Turkey didn't have much time about EU issue, adding that Turkey had to benefit from this opportunity. ''If this opportunity is missed, then what will be the status of Turkey? With which countries it will be? But everybody should know that we don't want to be a government which will lose the EU opportunity.''
When a reporter asked if the package could be submitted to the parliament before the National Security Council (NSC) meeting, Cicek said that ''first of all the national programme for adoption of acquis has to be adopted. Then the package will be transferred to the parliament. A parliament which had earlier adopted five packages, can adopt the sixth and the seventh one, there is no problem with that.''
''If necessary, the issue can be taken up in NSC meeting. The issue can be discussed many times. But there is a reason of these legal regulations and the discussions should take place within that basis,'' Cicek said.
When a journalist asked if the legal regulations could be adopted until the EU summit meeting in Thessaloniki in June, Cicek said that ''EU officials don't have much hesitations about our determination regarding the legal regulations. The thing that matters from now on is also implementing the legal regulations in practice. Implementation is as important as regulations. What we want to do is to adopt the legal regulations and give time to EU to observe its implementation until the year 2004 by when EU would give its decision.''

(GC-Öª) 02.06.2003