ANKARA - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that he and German Christian Democrat Union Party (CDU) leader Angela Merkel assessed strategically the EU membership of Turkey in respect of Turkey, EU and the region.
Erdogan received the same day CDU leader Merkel.
Speaking in a joint news conference after the meeting, Prime Minister Erdogan said that he believed that the meetings of Merkel in Turkey would be beneficial, adding that ''we took up our bilateral relations which further improved in the last 50 years in political, economic, social and cultural dimensions and which became more comprehensive with the existence of 2.5 million Turks living in Germany. We had the opportunity to review the EU process of Turkey and the approach of CDU to this issue in our meeting. We told her that we hoped the opposition in Germany to extend support to Turkey in that process. We gave detailed information to Merkel about the recent reforms undertaken by the government in relation to Copenhagen criteria. We told her that Turkey adjusted its laws to EU Copenhagen political criteria, passed the critical threshold in that regard and it was determined to put into practice the reforms fully and effectively this year. We assessed strategically Turkey's EU membership both in respect of our country, EU and also in respect of the region. We told Ms. Merkel that we believed she would take up our views from a different perspective after getting information about Turkey and its facts firsthand and in line with her comprehensive meetings here.''
Erdogan stated that they decided to continue their meetings both at the level of two parties and at the parliamentary level in the coming period with Merkel, hoping her visit to be a means of positive developments between the two parties and two countries.
When Turkey was compared with ten new countries which would join the EU soon, it would be seen that it was the most harmonious country in respect of adjusting with EU norms, said Erdogan.
''I really could not understand why the German opposition party CDU, could not show the approach which the German government put forward about Turkey's membership to EU,'' Erdogan said.
Replying to a question about ''privileged partnership'' proposal of CDU leader Angela Merkel, Erdogan said that ''there is no such privileged partnership on the agenda of Turkey. No such thing can be in question. Turkey has fulfilled EU Copenhagen criteria, particularly political criteria as of the end of 2003. We have adopted the adjustment laws in that regard. We are determined to implement the laws till the end of the year... It is not understandable to bring onto agenda this privileged partnership (which has not come to agenda for another country to date) for Turkey which is ready for membership. It is not possible for us to even to think about it. I could not really understand why opposition CDU party could not show the same political line of thinking with the party in power in Germany about this important issue.''
''I think perhaps time will solve this. Perhaps, we will have to discuss this issue more. Turkey's EU membership issue shall never be a matter of political exploitation in Germany. We do not support this either, but I think that we understand each other well with Germany where 2.5 million Turkish people are living,'' noted Erdogan.
Noting that Turkey's membership to EU would take the burden of the union instead of being a burden to the union, Erdogan said that EU was not a union of coal or steel, nor it was a Christian union, adding that EU in fact was a union of political values in Turkey's view.
Erdogan said that if we said ''EU was not a Christian club'', then this would be proved with the attendance or acceptance of Turkey. He added that when this was achieved, EU would be more powerful in the world. He said that he believed EU member countries would show the necessary sensitivity on this issue. He added that he, as the Prime Minister of Turkey, was expecting this from Merkel.
MERKEL: WE CAME HERE AS FRIENDS OF TURKEY
Merkel said that Erdogan and she had discussed Turkey's position and its Europe perspective. ''We came here as friends of Turkey.''
Noting that they had gotten broad information on reforms that Turkey had made under adjustment to the European Union (EU), Merkel said they appreciated what Turkey had done in last one year. Merkel stressed that those proved Turkey's determination.
Stating that they supported Turkey's EU path and they did not want to close the EU door to Turkey, Merkel recalled that ten more candidate states would join the EU soon.
She wanted to say that they, for the time being, didn't support Turkey's EU full membership but they wanted to back Turkey's EU path by offering a privileged partnership, Merkel said and added that privileged partnership did not mean a second-class membership.
Replying a question, Merkel said that privileged partnership could mean a much intense cooperation in fields of science, education, culture and research or defense and security, and steps to be taken by Turkey would play significant role in making it concrete.
Merkel stressed that they did not consider the EU as a Christian club.
Noting that Turkey had fulfilled the Copenhagen criteria but the main problem lied within the EU, Merkel said that there was a partnership agreement between Turkey and the EU, and content of it could be enlarged with a privileged partnership.

PARLIAMENT SPEAKER ARINC RECEIVES CDU LEADER MERKEL
German Christian Democrat Union Party (CDU) leader Angela Merkel said on Monday that her party didn't have the initiative of closing the European doors to Turkey, adding that they thought EU should give a perspective to Turkey.
Parliament Speaker Arinc received the same day Merkel and the accompanying delegation.
Speaking in the beginning of the meeting, Arinc pointed out to the importance of mutual visits in developing bilateral relations between countries, adding that there were rooted relations between Turkey and Germany which continued for 200 years.
Wishing the visit of Merkel to strengthen the friendship between the two countries, Arinc said that ''if there are different views about EU membership of Turkey and other issues, those different views will also further strengthen this friendship.''
Merkel said in her part that Turkish parliament was important for them as an institution representing democracy, adding that the parliament undertook important legal amendments in the last one year.
Praising the reforms undertaken by Turkey, Merkel said that CDU visited Turkey as a friend. She noted that they wanted to further enrich and deepen the Turkish-German friendship. She said that CDU wanted to learn the current issues and discussions in Turkey, adding that CDU defended the view that a perspective had to be given to Turkey within the scope of its relations with EU as this was important both in respect of strategy and as it was necessary.

ERDOGAN HOSTS DINNER IN HONOR OF MERKEL
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted dinner in honor of German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader Angela Merkel at the Prime Ministry Residence in Ankara on Monday.
Making a statement prior to the dinner, Erdogan said that Merkel who was paying her first ever visit to Turkey would get a thorough information about Turkey after completing her meetings in Ankara and Istanbul.
''For us, the visit is useful in terms of affirming our European Union membership determination and giving firsthand explanation about the steps we have taken so far and we are going to take with this objective,'' he said.
Stating that a decision on opening of accession talks with Turkey would be made in December of 2004, Erdogan said, ''naturally, it will be positive in case of completion of political criteria. Thus the EU will make its final decision about Turkey. Beyond bringing our relations with Germany which is Turkey's most important partner in Europe to a new and much deeper dimension, particularly in economic and cultural fields, this decision will have important and significant impacts also on regional and global scale.''
Noting that he expected the visit would contribute to maintenance of natural evolution of multi-dimensional and strategic relations between Turkey and the EU in stability by keeping them on track, Erdogan said, ''I think that increase in number of meetings between our parliamentarians and the parliamentarians of the bloc's parties in coming period would be very beneficial in terms of further consolidation of our relations which have roots deep in history and have developed and gradually gained more dimensions within the Atlantic Alliance in last fifty years and in terms of removal of existing rightful or wrongful hesitations of some German circles about Turkey.''
Erdogan added, ''I want to thank you for giving us the opportunity of holding meetings on development of Turkish-German and Turkey-EU relations in favor of peace and stability in our region and in the world by visiting Turkey.''
Meanwhile, Merkel said that she believed her visit would contribute to further development of relations between Turkey and Germany.
Noting that she had a few information on the important changes that Turkey had made in recent period under the EU process, Merkel said she would come to Turkey and hold meetings again.
(AA) 16.02.2004