BRUSSELS - Meetings of Joint Parliamentary Commission (JPC), which acts as dialogue organ between European Parliament and the Parliament, ended on Wednesday.
JPC co-chairmen Dutch parliamentarian Joost Lagendijk and Prof. Aydin Dumanoglu held a news conference and briefed about their studies.
Lagendijk said the meetings started by observing a minute of silence in the memory of those who lost their lives in terrorist attacks in Istanbul. He said joint fight against terrorism was widely discussed during the meetings, and that all the participants agreed that efforts should be united in fight against terrorism.
Lagendijk said EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen also joined JPC meeting, and that Cyprus issue was also discussed.
Lagendijk said European Parliament wing was in consensus of opinion that Cyprus question should be solved till May 1, 2004, and focused that time should not be lost.
The Dutch parliamentarian stated that Cyprus question was a difficult file and that political will of sides and open discussions were needed.
Prof. Dumanoglu in his part touched on terrorism and attacks in Istanbul did not aim only one people, but the humanity, stressing that solidarity messages were taken from the EU wing and that importance of international cooperation against terrorism was stressed.
Dumanoglu said in the meetings with Verheugen, it was stated that there were concrete mistakes in Progress Report prepared by the EU Commission, noting that it was accepted that there were some problems in putting into practice the reforms. Dumanoglu said Verheugen gave the message that he supported the Turkish file.
Dumanoglu said they welcomed the ongoing discussions on constitution within the Intergovernmental Conference, adding that they also focused on the importance of principle of secularism.
Dumanoglu said Turkish side has good will and exerted efforts on Cyprus issue and for the fair solution of all other problems.
Replying to a question, Lagendijk said everybody waited for the results of the elections that would take place in TRNC, stressing that the opportunity to take a step may come from there, but that the open opportunity window should be evaluated.
The Dutch Parliamentarian defended that solution or insolubility of Cyprus question would negatively or positively affect starting of accession talks.
Meanwhile, the speech delivered by EU Commissioner Guenther Verheugen for enlargement at the Belgian Senate yesterday, was taken up at morning session of JPC meetings.
Dr. Sukru Elekdag, a member of the Turkish delegation, said that he had held talks with the A.A correspondent who covered the speech, and added that they got voice records of the speech.
He described statement of Verheugen as unacceptable.
Ozan Ceyhun, a socialist member of the European Parliament of Turkish origin, expressed his suspicion about accuracy of the news story.
In response to Ceyhun, Dr. Onur Oymen, another member of the Turkish delegation who has served as Turkish permanent envoy at NATO in Belgium for five years, said, ''during my term in office in Brussels, I had the opportunity of meeting with A.A's representative in Brussels. I have not seen any wrongful news or any disinformation attempt of him. We can rely on his news story.''
Meanwhile, A.A's representative in Brussels said, ''I have learnt at the press conference held at the end of JPC meetings, that I was individually targeted. I was the only Turkish journalist covering Verheugen's speech at the Belgian Senate. I have the voice records. I can submit them to the relevant units. Also, the EU Commission has not attempted to deny it so far.''
Lagendijk said that they preferred not to discuss the issue since any member of JPC did not attend the mentioned meeting.
Meanwhile, spokesmen of EU Commission, who did not make any attempt to hide their uneasiness about style of repercussions of Verheugen's statement in Turkish press, refrained from making any statement at their daily routine press briefings.
Sources said that spokesmen might make a statement after scrutinizing voice records of Verheugen.
(AY-UK-AÖ) 03.12.2003