BERLIN - Justice Minister Cemil Cicek has said that solution of the Cyprus question was not a pre-condition for Turkey's accession to the European Union (EU).
Speaking at a program on the state-run TRT-INT TV Channel, Cicek said, ''Cyprus is not a pre-condition for our EU membership. We cannot accept such a condition. Solution of the Cyprus question does not take place among the political criteria for Turkey's accession to the EU. We also want the Cyprus question to be resolved. However, we have to take Cyprus under guarantee because of the experiences of the past. It was not Turkey which led to the current situation in the island. Turkey intervened in the island by benefiting from its rights as recognized in international agreements.''
Enumerating the most important issues on Turkey's agenda as economy and the EU membership, Cicek said, ''we want to act together with the EU and to defend the common values. We have taken necessary steps to this end and made legal arrangements. There are, of course, some deficiencies. However, we can remove them after opening of accession talks with the EU.''
Pointing out that Turkey would put into practice all these legal arrangements in 2004, Cicek said, ''if the EU is a whole of values, it has to include Turkey in its structure. If the EU stipulates solution to the Cyprus question, it will be nothing but a discrimination. We cannot accept such a discrimination.''
''The EU will naturally make some contributions to Turkey. In return, Turkey will make some contributions to the EU due to its position. The EU can become a strategic power only with Turkey. The EU cannot complete its vision without Turkey. Meanwhile, I want to stress once again that we have made all these reforms for prosperity of our people. The EU process will encourage us and accelerate our efforts,'' he noted.
Cicek pointed out, ''allegations of torture damaged Turkey's image in the past. Now, we have recorded important progress. Jurisdiction and security forces are the two elements paving ways for Turkey. We are aware of our deficiencies in human rights. However, it is a well-known act that there is not any country in which human rights are not violated. In fact, Turkey is ahead of some candidate countries. We expect the EU to act fairly.''
Cicek called on Turkish citizens living in Germany to assist Turkey in its EU membership process.
''Turkey is member of many international organizations. Turkey has never been burden to any of them. On the contrary, Turkey has made valuable contributions to these organizations. If the EU accepts former Warsaw Pact countries and excludes Turkey, it will have made a serious mistake,'' he added.
(UK) 13.11.2003