MERSIN - European Commission's Representative to Turkey Hans Joerg Kretschmer said on Tuesday that Cyprus problem was not one of the conditions foreseen for starting Turkey-EU negotiations, adding it was only a reality.
Addressing Mersin Industry and Trade Chamber, Kretschmer stated that Cyprus issue was a problem which had to be sorted out immediately for Turkey.
Recalling that 25 EU members would assess the issue of starting negotiations with Turkey next year, Kretschmer said that if the Cyprus issue was not going to be sorted out until that time, a problem could come out when approving the decision to start negotiations with Turkey.
Kretschemer stated that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued important statements about the sensitivity of the relation between Cyprus and Turkey's EU membership. ''I don't want to add anything to them, because Cyprus issue is a political reality,'' Kretschmer said adding that the solution of the problem was important not only for Turkey's EU membership, but also for the interest of Cypriot people.
A solution had to be found to the problem, he said adding that the government could solve it. Noting that the government surprised EU in many issues to date, Kretschmer said that in case of a solution in Cyprus, Turkey would get positive reactions.
Kretschmer said that he was in Turkey for a long time and he saw big economic differences among provinces which he had visited.
Economic differences could cause political differences, Kretschmer noted.
Kretschmer said that there was economic inequality among regions and provinces in Turkey and it could lead to political instability in the long term.
The aim of administrators should be ending that inequality, Kretschmer stated.
Kretschmer said that in case inequality was ended, some political problems would also be solved.
(ÖŞ-BRC) 11.11.2003