BRUSSELS - Delegation of Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) said on Friday that European Union (EU) gave priority to implementation of reforms.
TUSIAD delegation met with EU Commissioner for enlargement Guenter Verheugen.
TUSIAD Chairman Tuncay Ozilhan hold a press conference in which he defined their meetings with EU Commission President Romano Prodi, commissioner Guenter Verheugen and some members of the European Parliament (EP) as ''positive and constructive.''
Ozilhan said that Turkey-EU relations were taken up, developments in Turkish economy and business world were explained, and they gave information about progress recorded by Ankara in implementation of Copenhagen criteria.
TUSIAD officials quoted Prodi as saying that they would behave objective in progress report of Turkey and put forth all minuses and pluses.
TUSIAD delegation said that they saw that economic and political developments in Turkey had a positive impact on the EU and the EU, which saw the steps taken in Turkey, gave priority to implementation of the reforms.
Officials said that the EU touched on necessity that Turkey should prove that it was a state of law and expressed expectation about implementation of reforms especially in education in mother tongue, jurisdiction, rights of religious societies and democratic control of military budget.
The EU stressed importance of acceleration of searches for solution of Cyprus issue in meetings with TUSIAD.
EU, which said that Cyprus issue was not a political criteria but ''they should behave realistic,'' noted that there would be a pressure on Greek Cypriot side since May 1, 2004 and Greek Cypriots would become full member in case a solution was not found till that date.
TUSIAD officials said that solution should be searched within the scope of Annan plan and everybody should fulfil their responsibilities and voiced their expectation that the EU should assume a positive approach instead of a negative one.
Verheugen said in the meeting that ''Turkey's being a economically and democratically strong country was also for the benefit of EU.''
TUSIAD also took up Iraq issue in its contacts. TUSIAD touched on the necessity that ''Turkey should be very careful about Iraq issue'' and said that ''any failure of Turkey would please fanatic anti-Turkey groups in the EU.''
EU, which cannot assume a common approach towards Iraq issue, gave the message that ''they could understand Turkey's position but everybody should be very careful.''
TUSIAD delegation departed from Belgium after the press conference.
(BRC-AY) 10.10.2003