ANKARA - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan left for Brussels on Wednesday evening to attend EU summit.
Erdogan is accompanied by his wife, and State Ministers Ali Babacan and Mehmet Aydın during his visit to Brussels.
Erdogan said that he would have bilateral contacts and assessments about Turkey's full membership process to EU with his European counterparts within the scope of EU summit in Brussels.
Speaking before his departure for Brussels, Erdogan said that the EU summit would start on Thursday and issues of intergovernmental conference would be taken up among 28 European countries.
Erdogan said that other issues would be taken up in the luncheon on October 17, adding that they would exchange views about common foreign and security policy, initiative to revive EU economies and justice and interior issues.
Erdogan said that he would also proceed to Spain and participate in the Formentor Forum Conference to be hosted under the auspices of Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar and deliver a speech as the honour guest about Turkey's Status in the context of Mediterranean Partnership and EU Relations.
Erdogan said that Turkish delegations would also participate in sessions on ''Mediterranean After Iraqi War,'' ''Agricultural Policies in the Mediterranean and Development,'' ''Religion, Culture and Xenophobia.'' Erdogan said that he would return to Turkey on October 18.
When asked if Turkish soldiers would be sent to protect Turkish Embassy in Baghdad, Erdogan said that there was no such thing on their agenda for the moment.
(END)
(ÖŞ) 15.10.2003