ROME - Turkey-EU Troika meeting held in Rome, Italy ended on Tuesday.
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul held a joint news conference with Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, Irish Foreign Minister Brain Cowen, EU higher commissioner for common foreign policy and defense Javier Solana and EU commissioner for enlargement Guenter Verheugen.
Gul stated that he thanked EU officials during the meeting as the EU`s Progress Report on Turkey praised the reforms in Turkey.
Gul said in the meeting he stressed the resolution of Turkey in implementing the reforms, adding that he was hopeful about reaching a result in Cyprus until May, 2004.
Speaking in the joint news conference held after the meeting, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said that Italy, as the EU Term President supported the EU membership of Turkey in a resolved manner.
Welcoming the reforms undertaken in Turkey, Frattini said that there was a consensus of opinion with Turkey in issues of security, defense and fight with weapons of mass destruction which came to agenda during the meeting.
Noting that Turkey was an important country in respect of stability in the region, Frattini said that everybody knew how important role Turkey played in a region which needed stability. Frattini said that EU welcomed Turkey`s friendly relations with neighbour countries in the region, adding that Turkey particularly left behind a negative period in its relations with Syria and the neighbourhood relations were improving. The improvement of relations between Syria and Turkey was an important factor for peace in the region, he said.
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said in his part that it was pleasing to see that Europe noticed the reforms in Turkey. Noting that all the issues between Turkey and EU were taken up in a sincere way, Gul said that he explained Turkey`s resolution to implement the reforms to his European counterparts and stressed that important progress was recorded in this issue in a short time.
``I thanked them as Progress Report praised the reforms in Turkey. I mentioned some mistakes to them and added that we would later submit it to them as a report,`` Gul noted.
Solana defined the meeting as constructive and said that Turkey was a key country for world peace in the atmosphere of crisis, the effect of which could be seen in the whole world.
Noting that Turkey could play a positive role in the region, Solana said that they thought that Turkey was an important actor in the region.
Verheugen, who also defined the meeting as ``very constructive``, said that Turkey was gradually getting closer to targets set by the Commission during membership process.
Significant betterment was seen not only in quality but also speed of reforms, Verheugen noted.
Verheugen added that he could say that he would behave very objectively in the progress report to be announced by the Commission next October.
EU Term President Italy`s Foreign Minister Frattini said that Cyprus issue came onto agenda during the meeting.
Frattini said that as Europeans, they asked Turkey to help settlement of Cyprus issue because they attached great importance to solution of that issue.
Turkey was assuming a positive attitude towards their demand, Frattini stated.
Foreign Minister Gul said that he told his European colleagues that Cyprus was not an issue related with political criteria and his colleagues also accepted it.
However, Gul noted, Turkey favored a solution on Cyprus.
Gul said, ``we are aware that we should be realistic about the issue. We wish to create a ground for compromise taking into consideration facts on the island. But, compromise is two-sided. We wish that the issue will be solved by a compromise after democratic elections in Turkish side.``
Foreign Minister Gul underlined that they were hopeful about solution of Cyprus issue till May 2004 but did not detail the solution.
Asked if solution would be reached within the framework of Annan plan, Gul said, ``everybody knows that we support efforts of U.N. We will fulfil our responsibilities for a solution. But, efforts can`t be one-sided. Both sides should want compromise.``
Gul left Italy for Turkey following the press conference.

VERHEUGEN: THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME A COUNTRY TOOK ALL DEMOCRATIC STEPS BY ALL MEANS
European Union (EU) Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen on Tuesday spoke about Turkey`s EU membership process and said this was the first time a country took all democratic steps by all means.
Verheugen held a news conference in European Parliament in Rome during Turkey-EU Troika meeting.
Verheugen praised Turkish government and the steps taken by the government during EU membership process.
Verheugen said this was the first time that a country took steps to fulfill all democratic conditions including democracy and human rights.
EU Commissioner Verheugen said Turkey was very important being a country living both Islam and western criteria together. He said Turkey was an important partner of them in Europe`s defense and security policy, however that only defense and security, without fulfillment of reforms, can not be a reason for Turkey`s accession to EU.
Speaking about Cyprus issue which was included in EU Commission`s progress report on Turkey, Verheugen said they strongly supported the solution proposed by the U.N. He said solution of Cyprus question before May 1 was very important.
Verheugen said entrance of a united Cyprus to the EU would also be for the benefit of Turkish Cypriots, and that this was a political reality. He said insolubility in Cyprus was an important obstacle for Turkey. Verheugen defended that this was not a precondition but a political reality.
(Öª-BRC-AY) 11.11.2003