ANKARA - Foreign journalists who were invited to Turkey upon the 80th foundation anniversary of the Turkish Republic, visited on Monday Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Commission Chairman Mehmet Dulger.
Foreign journalists asked Dulger when Turkey would send soldiers to Iraq, the course of Turkish-EU relations and what kind of a solution would be reached in Cyprus during the meeting which was closed to press.
Dulger told foreign journalists that the government took authority from the parliament to send soldiers and there was both the possibility of sending or not sending soldiers within that authority. Dulger said that the issue of Turkey's sending soldiers and the region of the deployment were not known, adding that this was not only based on the will of Turkey, but on compromise. ''The necessary talks for reaching this compromise have not started yet,'' Dulger said.
Noting that EU membership was one of the priorities of the government, Dulger said that ''we do our best to reach EU target. We completed the shortcomings within the scope of Copenhagen criteria with adjustment packages.''
Dulger stated that Annan plan could be discussed if bi-zonality and the Turkish existence could be taken under guarantee.
Cyprus could not be put forward as a sine quo non regarding the accession into EU, Dulger said adding that this would be a double standard in respect of EU. Dulger pointed out that ''while it is told to Turkey that it should not leave a divided Cyprus behind, the same thing is not told to the other side, which is a double standard.''
When asked about Turkey's view regarding the elections in TRNC, Dulger said that ''just like we don't interfere with elections of another state, we don't also interfere with the elections in TRNC. Manifestation of TRNC's will is important for us.''
There are 14 journalists from Russia, Greece, TRNC, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Japan, Italy and Bulgaria in the foreign journalists delegation.
(ÖŞ-AY) 20.10.2003