ANKARA - German Social Democrat Party (SPD) deputy and the head of German Parliamentary Commission for Relations with Turkey Gerd Andres, who held meetings in Turkey, said on Thursday that his party had an active contribution in the issue of Turkey's membership to the European Union (EU) and it would continue so.
Andres and accompanying delegation visited Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal. The meeting in which CHP Deputy leader Inal Batu and deputies Kemal Dervis, Onur Oymen and Gulsun Bilgehan also attended was closed to press.
Baykal said after the meeting that Turkey came to a critical step in the aspect of relations with EU and it was a basic need to develop relations with Germany on this point. He added that the meeting was very beneficial.
Andres said that CHP was their ''sister party'' and their relations which had been continuing for years would also carry on from now on. Recalling that CHP was the opposition party at parliament, Andres said that the meeting was also beneficial in this aspect.
Noting that EU membership had an importance in Turkey, Andres said that his party had very positive and active contributions to Turkey's EU membership and it would continue like this.
Emphasizing that Turkey speeded up legal arrangements regarding EU membership, Andres said that reform policies should be implemented until the end of 2004 and they were ready for support in this issue.
(GC-AÖ) 19.06.2003