ANKARA - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed on Monday Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, who is paying an official visit to Turkey, by an official ceremony in the Prime Ministry building.
Speaking in the joint news conference with Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, Erdogan said that they mainly took up Turkey-EU relations and he gave detailed information about the reforms which Turkey undertook in the recent EU membership process during the meeting.
Prime Minister Erdogan stated that he explained that Turkey adjusted itself with EU Copenhagen political criteria in respect of laws and it was resolved to fully and effectively implement the reforms.
Noting that EU's taking the decision to start full membership negotiations with Turkey in its summit to be held in December, 2004 was the main target of Turkey, Erdogan said that ''we explained during the meeting that we expect the progress report to stress that Turkey has fulfilled the necessary legal regulations and that Turkey has focused on implementation as this is very important for speeding up our reform process.''
Erdogan said he believed that Belgium would play its role in urging EU countries to give a strong message to Turkey in EU Summit in December 2003 to support and encourage Turkey. Erdogan said Turkey expected Belgium to continue its support to Turkey.
Erdogan remarked that bilateral relations, economic cooperation, investment projects, and the situation of Turkish citizens in Belgium were also taken up in the meeting with Verhofstadt, adding that ''we stressed the importance we attached to integration of our citizens to Belgian society and we confirmed our cooperation to this end.''
Erdogan stated that when the Progress Report was announced officially, the government would issue an official statement and assessment.
Referring to Cyprus, Erdogan said that ''we always tell that we favour a solution in Cyprus, but solution does not mean giving completely positive answers to the wishes of the other side.''
Erdogan pointed out that Turkey favoured a just and lasting solution in Cyprus as a guarantor state, adding that ''our friends should show their friendship by taking into consideration these sensitivities.''
VERHOFSTADT: TURKEY SHOULD ASSESS EU COMMISSION'S VIEWS AS ROAD MAP
Verhofstadt said that the AK Party government which was in power for one year undertook very important reforms in constitutional, political and economic fields.
Noting that those reforms brought Turkey closer to EU, Verhofstadt said that the reforms also made Turkey attractive for foreign investors.
Verhofstadt said that he paid his visit to Turkey just two days before the publication of the Progress Report, adding that the report would on the one hand stress the significant progress reached, and on the other hand it would stress the need of taking additional steps.
Verhofstadt stated that Turkey should assess the views of the EU Commission as a target put forward for it or as a road map that had to be followed for the coming 12 months.
Pointing out that the important date for Turkey was not the date when this year's progress report would be announced, but the date when the report in October 2004 would be announced, Verhofstadt said that EU would take as basis the final report which the EU Commission would announce in 2004.
Noting that Cyprus issue was not a precondition to start negotiations with Turkey, Verhofstadt said yet it was obvious that finding a solution would ease the process. Verhofstadt stressed that Turkey had a period of six months full of opportunities ahead of it until May, 2004, adding that all sides had to do their best to reach a solution in Cyprus before that date.
Referring to the importance of economic and commercial cooperation between the two countries, Verhofstadt said that they talked about three concrete projects with Erdogan.
Upon a question, Verhofstadt said that Belgium would extend support to Turkey for taking all the necessary steps for getting a positive result from 2004 Progress Report and 2004 EU Summit.
Later the two prime ministers signed the agreement on mutual administrative assistance between customs administrations of the two countries.
(ÖŞ) 03.11.2003