ANKARA - A delegation headed by Association of Turkish Businessmen and Industrialists in Europe (ATIAD) Chairman Esref Unsal visited on Tuesday State Minister Mehmet Aydin.
Following the meeting, Unsal told reporters that German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder promised them that Germany would undertake the responsibility of opening European Union (EU) full membership negotiations with Turkey in 2004 although it was not a binding promise.
Unsal recalled that they had a meeting with German Chancellor Schroeder on Monday.
They would inform the government about their meeting with Schroeder during their contacts in Ankara, Unsal said.
Unsal noted, ''the meeting was focused on EU. As Turkish businessmen living in Germany, we made a demand from Schroder for beginning of EU membership process. We demanded that Germany should undertake responsibility of opening Turkey's EU full membership negotiations in 2004. Schroder made a promise although it is not so binding. Our aim is to start Turkey's negotiations in 2004. We stated that there should not be some impositions like Cyprus. We also took up issues on agenda like alphabet.''
Asked if Schroeder used an expression that ''Cyprus was a sine qua non condition'' in their meeting, Unsal said, ''we stated that solution was not unilateral and should be found by the sides. We said that Cyprus should not be an obstacle before beginning of negotiations. It was accepted.''
Replying to a similar question regarding Cyprus, Unsal said, ''an expression saying that 'Cyprus is a sine qua non condition' was not used. The issue has some nuances. We will explain them to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.''
(BRC-AÖ) 11.11.2003