Erdogan: Our Most Important Foreign Policy Target Will Be To Complete E.U. Membership Process

ANKARA - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that the most important foreign policy target of the government in the coming period would be to complete the EU membership process successfully.
Erdogan stated that Turkey's membership was no longer an issue of discussion, adding that the issue was now how and when this would come true.
Stressing that Turkey launched great efforts to find a solution to Cyprus issue through negotiations and by taking into consideration the realities of the island, Erdogan said that the government was in close consultation and cooperation with military officials and all concerned institutions. Erdogan said that Turkey recorded great progress in those studies carried out to assume a common attitude.
In his address to the nation broadcast alive in tv channels, Erdogan said that the year 2004 would be a turning point for the country, and people in all respects.
Erdogan said that the government launched efforts to strengthen the contacts of Turkey with all countries in the world since it came to power, adding that those contacts started to give its positive results.
''Today Turkey is one of the countries which draws attention in the world,'' Erdogan said and he later referred to Turkey's EU membership bid.
''Turkey's membership to EU is important for Turkey and also for our European friends,'' said Erdogan, adding that ''Turkey which is integrated with Europe will prevent turning of political and cultural differences into clashes in a broad geography. In that respect Turkey will contribute significantly to peace, stability and security of European continent. We are pleased to know that this fact is also clearly perceived by our European counterparts.''
Erdogan stated that Turkey's membership was no longer an issue of discussion, adding that the issue was now how and when this would come true. Erdogan added that the stage Turkey came in its EU bid was more than half of the path.
Prime Minister Erdogan said that the meetings with EU Commission President Romano Prodi and EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen who recently visited Turkey, were very positive, adding that he gave them information about Turkey's EU vision and studies it carried out in that framework. Noting that both Prodi and EU Commission officials expressed their pleasure about those studies in a very constructive and supportive way, Erdogan said that he witnessed the same positive atmosphere towards Turkey also in Bertalsmann Forum in which he earlier participated in Germany.
Erdogan stated that he clearly explained the resolution of Turkey about full membership and Turkey's expectations from EU in both platforms, adding that ''I can easily say from these meetings that Turkey is appreciated by EU with its efforts to abide by Copenhagen political criteria, performance in economy and regional approaches. I hope that this appreciation will turn into a concrete will and programme in favour of Turkey's full membership.''
Prime Minister Erdogan said that the government always pursued the rights and interests of Turkey and Turkish Cypriot nation in Cyprus issue, which was a national cause, adding that international society had various attempts and expectations about resuming of talks in Cyprus.
''Finding a fair and lasting solution to Cyprus issue through negotiations is in fact common wish and target of Turkey and TRNC. We continue our support to good will mission of U.N. Secretary General with this understanding and we launch great efforts to reach a solution that will take into consideration the realities of the island,'' he said.
Erdogan stated that Foreign Ministry carried out meticulously the preparations that would help in determining the position of the Turkish side in negotiations, adding that ''in that respect the government, which acts sensitively in this issue is in close consultation and cooperation with military officials and all concerned institutions. We've recorded great progress in these studies carried out to determine a common attitude. In the coming days, we will start initiatives with the new TRNC government to revive the negotiation process. All efforts that will be launched for lasting peace and solution in Cyprus will again be carried out in close solidarity and cooperation between Turkey and TRNC.''
Erdogan noted that like they stressed after his meeting with TRNC President Rauf Denktas in Istanbul, the common target was to reach a lasting and fair peace in Cyprus within the scope of U.N. Secretary General's good will mission and the realities on the island.
ERDOGAN: ''TURKEY WON'T PURSUE PASSIVE, WAIT AND SEE POLICIES''
Erdogan said that Turkey would go nowhere by accepting insolubility as solution, by pursuing passive, wait and see policies and by producing paranoiac fears.
''The problems of this country will be solved by negotiations and consultations that would be held on the legitimate bases of this country like it always happened,'' Erdogan said in his address to the nation broadcast alive in tv channels the same day.
Erdogan said that the basic priority both in Turkey's EU bid and also in search for solution in Cyprus is to protect the interests of Turkey.
''Turkey will pursue an active, dynamic, resolved and rational foreign policy in order to protect its national interests,'' Erdogan said.
Referring to the intensive diplomacy traffic carried out with other countries, Erdogan said that ''our target is to develop our political and economic relations with all countries particularly with our neighbours at the highest level and to contribute to world peace,'' said Erdogan.
Erdogan said that Syrian President Bashar Al-Asad's visit to Turkey in January was very important, adding that ''I would like to stress that the rooted relations between Turkey and Syria have recently developed rapidly. Our relations have gained a new opening by coming out of the common will to sort out the problems between the two countries.''
''The values represented by Turkey and its status have an important influence in re-installation of peace in the Middle East. Turkey which is a reliable country of the region, will play its regional role for installation of lasting peace atmosphere. This effort is necessary not only for regional peace, but also for security of Turkey. To this end we both develop our cooperation and dialogue with our neighbours and we also aim to be the representative of peaceful solutions to problems in the region,'' he said.
Referring to his participation in Jeddah Economic Forum in Saudi Arabia, Erdogan said that ''not only in the Forum, but in our bilateral meetings there we clearly put forward the need to undertake necessary reforms in our region as soon as possible to be in harmony with changing world conditions. Turkey wants to be the locomotive of this change and renewal in its region with its economic dynamism, its democratic development which pushes the EU doors. In Jeddah Economic Forum, we stressed the new role and influence of economy in new world order.''
''I hope the war conditions prevailing in Iraq and the clashes between Israel and Palestine would be sorted out peacefully in a way that will be to the interest of all sides as soon as possible,'' Erdogan said.
Erdogan noted that Asia was a special geography for Turkey, adding that the government aimed to have close and vivid relations with sister republics and other Asian friends.
Referring to the visit of Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul to Azerbaijan and Iran in January, Erdogan said that ''we were very pleased with the prevalence of common sense in change of administrations in Azerbaijan and Georgia. We hope these new administrations will produce results that will further deepen democracy culture in Asia.''
Expressing his hope to speed up the existing recovery in commercial relations with the countries in that region, Erdogan said that ''we particularly want our manufacture and construction sectors to further make Turkey's influence be felt in the region.''
Regarding his visit to the U.S., Erdogan said that he hoped his visit would bring important benefits to further improve the existing good relations between the U.S. and Turkey. ''We will have the opportunity to voice once again the resolution of Turkey to be the most important representative of peace and stability in its region during meetings in the U.S. We will explain our sensitivity for reaching as soon as possible a peaceful solution in Iraq which will bring prosperity to all Iraqi people. We will clearly explain the sensitivities of Turkey for protection of Iraq's integrity and Turkey's stance against formations on ethnic basis there. We will openly explain our expectation of prevention of formations having terrorist desires by benefiting from existing war conditions in the region and of negligence that could damage peace and stability in the region. We have no doubt that the friendly relations between the two countries will further strengthen with this visit and Turkey's peaceful concerns will be taken into consideration.''

(Öª) 22.01.2004