ANKARA - German Ambassador to Turkey Dr. Wolf Ruthart Born said on Wednesday that European Union Commission's Progress Report confirmed that Turkey was on the right track with the successful reform program it put into practice.
Born issued a written statement and said the report was positive in general despite several deficiencies that were underlined.
Born said Turkey exerted efforts and took important steps to meet Copenhagen criteria since last year's progress report, and that time came to overcome the deficiencies that were stressed.
Born said European Commission's Progress Report, which was announced on November 5, 2003, confirmed that Turkey was on the right track with the successful reform program it fulfilled. He said possibility of the EU Commission to make a positive recommendation to heads of states and governments in 2004 autumn was high. He said the Commission underlined that Turkey had to exert further efforts before this. Born said reform efforts would not be adequate, but that they had to be put into practice in daily life.
Born said the Commission criticized that there were still bureaucratical and legal impediments in putting the reforms into practice, recalling that the Commission praised the reforms regarding the structure of National Security Council and reforms giving permission to Kurdish courses together with Kurdish television and radio. Born said such a course would for the first time start in Batman nowadays.
On Cyprus question, Born recalled the expression in the Strategy Paper that deficiency in solution in Cyprus could be a serious obstacle in front of Turkey's desire for EU full membership. He said that the report referred to this political issue openly for the first time and that starting full membership negotiations with Turkey was not seen clearly in case separation of Cyprus could not be prevented.
Born said he believed that Turkey would continue to progress toward the successful path it covered so far, noting that Turkey could rely on Germany's support on this path.
(AY) 12.11.2003