ISTANBUL - Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen Association (TUSIAD) said on Tuesday that Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt stressed that many things could be done more easily if solution in Cyprus gets closer.
Ozilhan replied to questions of reporters following meeting of Verhofstadt with TUSIAD delegation.
Stating that the meeting was very fruitful, Ozilhan said EU Progress Report, which will be announced on Wednesday, was leaked to media, and that thus some of the problems in the report was known.
Ozilhan said during the meeting they focused on general issues, stressing that, ''it is very important for Turkey to get a date at the end of 2004. Of course, the government took very important steps in the past one year. Constitutional amendment packages passed. Of course, putting those reforms into practice is also very important. However, we feel slowness in the recent period regarding practice. We all wish the government to speed up its dynamism.''
When a journalist said whether or not Belgian Prime Minister made an evaluation that insolubility of Cyprus question would make Turkey's EU membership more difficult, Ozilhan said, ''no, he did not. In fact, Cyprus is not an article among the Copenhagen criteria. Yet he said many things could be done more easily if solution in Cyprus gets closer. Belgium supports Turkey in many platforms. They always had positive approach.''
DENKTAS: ''IF EU DOES NOT WANT TO ADMIT TURKEY, THERE ARE SO MANY EXCUSES, BUT CYPRUS IS NOT ONE OF THEM''
TRNC President Rauf Denktas said on Monday that ''if EU does not want to admit Turkey and looks for excuses, it can find many, but Cyprus is not one of them.''
''Because Turkey came to Cyprus by using a legitimate right, it prevented the biggest genocide in the Mediterranean, it served the humanity. It brought democracy and peace,'' said Denktas.
When a reporter asked his views about the EU Commission's progress report which noted that insolubility in Cyprus ''could'' constitute a serious obstacle for Turkey's EU expectations, Denktas said that the word ''could'' rather than ''would'' left an open door.
''It means that they also have a hesitation, as to whether this Cyprus issue is an obstacle or not... We tell again: If there is justice in EU, it will put the issue as an obstacle in front of Greek Cypriots who started the Cyprus issue, who shed blood, who had recourse to terrorism and who treated Turkish Cypriots in a way against humanity for 11 years to claim ownership on Cyprus. As Cyprus is not the island of Greek Cypriots, but the island of both sides, as two peoples accepted to live in two separate places upon their consent, as Turkey protects the rights and lives of Turkish Cypriot people, EU's telling Turkey 'to get away from Cyprus and if not you will not be admitted to EU,' is a great injustice, it means supporting the Greek Cypriot side and it means preventing the solution of Cyprus issue on the basis of two new partners,'' Denktas said.
(ÖŞ-AÖ) 04.11.2003