ANKARA - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who also acts as leader of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), said on Tuesday, ''Turkey should act rapidly about the European Union (EU) membership issue. We should not forget that initiatives aiming at preventing our steps for Turkey's EU membership will damage future of our children.''
Speaking at the group meeting of the AK Party, Prime Minister Erdogan said, ''there is a government in Turkey removing obstacles in front of investors and encouraging them. Turkey does not have any patience for solution of its problems. Therefore, we should act rapidly about the EU membership issue.''
''There are adjustment laws with the EU and problems to be solved on our agenda. We should solve them as soon as possible. Otherwise, we cannot record progress. We have to do some legal arrangements to this end,'' he stressed.
Stating that they aimed to further develop Turkey through justice, Erdogan said that the government attributed great importance to full membership with EU and it would.
Erdogan said that they would revise national program till mid-June and they would present it to EU.
''Thus, our national program aims to improve esteem of Turkey. After this text comes out, we will bring the sixth adjustment package onto the agenda of the parliament. We should act rapidly on EU issue,'' he noted.
Stating that Turkey's full membership to EU was an obligatory process for democracy, economy and security, Erdogan added that those factors showed that Turkey was on good and right path.
(UK-EÖ-AY) 03.06.2003