ANKARA - State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener said on Thursday that they expected a timetable to be set for Turkey in December 2004 to start European Union (EU) full membership negotiations.
Sener replied to questions of reporters after a meeting on Preliminary National Development Plan.
When a journalist reminded Sener that other candidate countries used more loans from the EU funds, he said, ''we should accept that there is difference between Turkey and the other countries in use of EU funds.''
Sener said, ''EU member countries make use of the funds in the highest level, but Turkey's benefiting from the funds is in low level. While investigating the functioning of mechanism with the EU, we should consider whether or not Turkey carried out necessary studies to benefit from the funds.''
Sener said Turkish economy did not regress because of Customs Union, noting that Turkey should increase its competitive power and meet the deficit with the EU.
When asked whether or not five-year development plan would be implemented after implementation of Preliminary National Development Plan, Sener said there were differences between the two plans, noting that, ''National Development Plan will take the place of five-year development plan after starting of EU full membership negotiations.''
Meanwhile, State Planning Institute Undersecretary Ahmet Tiktik said the Preliminary National Development Plan would be carried out in cooperation with the EU Commission.
(AY-AÖ) 18.12.2003