ISTANBUL - New Turkey Party (YTP) leader Ismail Cem said on Monday that the only way of the European Union's (EU) turning itself into a strategic actor was to form ''network of alliances'' like Turkey.
Cem who delivered a speech at the opening of summer school organized by Istanbul's Bilgi University said that he attributed great importance to relations between Turkey and Greece and noted that Foreign Minister George Papandreou of Greece played a very important role in improvement of Turkish-Greek relations.
Touching on EU, Cem said that the union had some difficulties and big problems and added that it stemmed from the union's not knowing whether it was a global power or not.
Ismail Cem said that EU was at the level of giving a decision now and stressed, ''will the union be a global actor or will it remain as a big economic power and won't it be a strategic partner?''
Stating that there was not any possibility in Europe for the union to put itself at similar level with the United States, Cem said, ''the only way of the EU's turning itself into a strategic actor is to form 'network of alliances' like Turkey.''
Cem said that if EU did it, the union would remove deficiencies in its economy.
Stressing that contribution of Turkey and Greece to EU was very important, Cem said, ''I believe in future of relations. There can be some problems in relations from time to time. But the basis of those relations is sound. The two countries will continue to walk on their ways as very important actors in our region.''
(EÖ-AÖ) 14.07.2003