Baykal: A Critical Point Was Reached In Turkey's Relations With E.U.

ANKARA - Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said on Tuesday that a critical point was reached in Turkey's relations with the European Union (EU) and stated that Turkey should make good use of this opportunity.
Addressing his party's group meeting, Baykal said that Turkey carried burden of realization of starting negotiations with EU in 2005.
Stating that Ataturk and all politicians who had governed the country so far had great contributions to the point which was reached on EU issue, Baykal said that this issue should not be discussed irrelevantly and it should not be used as an internal material.
Baykal said that Turkey should be a member of the EU without spoiling relations.
Noting that Turkey had things which should be done on Copenhagen criteria, Baykal said that 21st term parliament fulfilled important things on that issue.
''EU should put forth things which Turkey should do and those things should be discussed. EU's expecting Turkey to take new steps continuously and accept this situation is not true. Honest and transparent relations should be established with EU,'' he stated.
Baykal said that Turkey would overcome EU issue and stated that necessary regulations were fulfilled in the Constitution.
Noting that all ethnic groups had right to have education in their mother tongue in Turkey as in all democratic countries thanks to the amendment in the Constitution, he stated that ethnic groups' learning their mother tongue should not turn into a public duty.
Baykal noted that everybody should use this right by his/her own initiative and added that it was a democratic right.
(EÖ-UK) 03.06.2003