ANKARA - Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said on Thursday that Turkey knew its deficiencies within European Union (EU) process better than Europeans, and stressed that they were resolved to overcome those deficiencies.
Replying to questions of journalists, Gul said final shape of 2003 Progress Report was not revealed yet, and noted that it could be described as draft. Gul said, ''when we look at the Progress Report, they openly say that the reforms made in Turkey, intentions of the government and the steps that are taken are very important.''
Replying to a question, Gul said reforms made in Turkey were always appreciated in EU, stating that a Reform Monitoring Group was formed in this respect. He said this Group convened regularly, and that measures were taken to speed up some regulations that were not issued and for some that are about to expire. Gul said, ''we believe that everybody will see soon that most of them are implemented.''
Gul said, ''we promised those reform packages to Turkish people. Why won't our people have the high democratic standards which people in Europe have? We know our deficiencies better than the Europeans and we are resolved to overcome them.''
Replying to a question about dispatch of Turkish soldiers to Iraq, Gul said, ''we are not insistent. A request had been made to us and we have taken authority in this respect. We said we can send soldiers in case conditions are met. Talks will continue. We don't have any haste. We can not send our soldiers to anywhere with closed eyes. Everybody knows this.''
Gul said he would meet with Turkey's ambassadors in regional countries on Friday to evaluate recent developments. Gul said during the foreign ministers meeting that would take place in Damascus at the weekend he would not call for support for dispatch of Turkish soldiers to Iraq.
Replying to a question on 8.5 billion U.S. dollars loan, Gul said in case a decision was taken to use this loan, this should be discussed in the parliament.
CHP LEADER BAYKAL SAYS A PROGRESS REPORT WHICH MAY STAND AS AN OBSTACLE BEFORE TURKEY-EU RELATIONS WILL CAUSE SERIOUS DISAPPOINTMENT IN TURKEY

Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal said on Thursday that a progress report which might stand as an obstacle before Turkey-European Union (EU) relations would cause serious disappointment in Turkey.
Baykal, who returned from Sao Paulo, Brazil where he attended the Congress of Socialist International to Turkey, told reporters, ''we all expect that serious steps taken by Turkey for a long time will be appreciated.''
CHP leader Baykal said that 170 political parties from 145 countries were member of Socialist International which was the most efficient and respected international organization after the United Nations (U.N.)
Baykal noted that the meeting was very fruitful and beneficial.
They had the opportunity to reflect Turkey's point of view and approaches to the documents of Socialist International in the meeting, Baykal said.
Baykal stated that CHP had an increasing influence on the Socialist International for a long time, adding that views of CHP started to draw more attention and interest especially after the Iraq crisis.
Replying to a question on Cyprus issue, Baykal said, ''our friends had a very fruitful initiative regarding Cyprus issue. Formulas which were not in line with our view were changed in the document.''
Asked about views on Turkey's Iraq policy, Baykal said, ''we saw that Turkey's recent decision to send soldiers to Iraq have harmed some views about Turkey. We said that Turkey has not de facto sent soldiers yet. They said that soldiers have not been sent due to the decision of the United States not as a result of the decision of the government.''
Replying to a question on the Progress Report, Baykal said, ''we are awaiting the Progress Report. I don't want to say anything before it is announced. We all expect that serious steps taken by Turkey for a long time will be appreciated and importance of these steps will be stressed in the report. We know that decisions taken and arrangements made have not been totally put into practice yet. We are following the developments. But, a progress report which may stand as an obstacle before Turkey-EU relations will cause a serious disappointment in Turkey. I don't think such a thing will happen.''
(AY-BRC) 30.10.2003