ISTANBUL - State Minister Besir Atalay said on Sunday that he informed participants of unofficial meeting of the European ministers for audio-visual communications about reform packages which were adopted by Turkey in its European Union (EU) membership process and practices of which Turkey attached importance.
Atalay, who returned from Italy where he attended the meeting to Turkey, told reporters that he exchanged views with ministers who attended the meeting held in Siracusa, Sicily.
Turkey had participated in all meetings held during EU term presidency of Italy in the high-level, Atalay emphasized.
Atalay said that Turkey was represented in the level of ministers in the meetings on transportation, trade, e-state, policies for competitive Europe in global market, energy and environment.
Noting that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan showed importance he attached to the EU with his last visit to Italy, Atalay said, ''these visits have actively contributed to forums in which discussions are made to re-shape not only the EU policies and arrangements in line with new conditions, but also needs of future members.''
Atalay noted, ''our active and energetic participation in these meetings in the highest level is a sign of the strong will and ambitious endeavor of our government in direction of EU full membership target.''
Giving information about meetings he attended, Atalay said that technological developments of the audiovisual sector, evolution of tv advertising forms, an encouraging program for the development, the distribution and the promotion of the European audiovisual works were taken up in the meetings, the theme of which was ''Television Without Frontiers'' Directive.
Atalay stated that he spoke in those meetings and went on saying, ''in our bilateral meetings, we gave detailed information about the comprehensive reform packages which we adopted during our EU membership process and practices of which we attached great importance. On the other hand, we laid down concrete proposals on agenda items.''
Traditional measures like ''restrictive hours'' which aimed at protection of minors were no more efficient because of technological developments and cross-border television broadcastings, Atalay said.
Atalay emphasized that there was need for new and common arrangements.
He gave information about ''classifying system project'' launched as of 2001 by the Supreme Board of Radio and Television for protection of minors, Atalay said.
Atalay added, ''the Dutch government has extended financial support for the project. The Dutch government has allocated 325 thousand Euro for the project. This is the first financial support to be received from EU funds in audio-visual field. We have proposed that such systems should be put into practice with joint symbols in Europe since broadcastings have cross-border structure today.''
(BRC-AÖ) 15.09.2003