Gul: Relations Between Turkey And Germany Have Special Characteristics In Terms Of Content

OPENING SESSION OF THE 10TH TERM MEETINGS OF THE TURKISH - GERMAN COOPERATION COUNCIL

ANKARA - Turkey made important reforms on the way to full membership of the European Union (EU), German Foreign Ministry State Secretary Klaus Scharioth said on Thursday.
Addressing the opening session of the 10th term meetings of the Turkish-German Cooperation Council, Scharioth said a decision would be taken in favor of Turkey regarding negotiations with the EU in case Turkey maintained this dynamic.
Scharioth said relations between the two countries were at a strong period.
Stating that Turkey took important steps on the way to EU membership, Scharioth said Copenhagen criteria was met to a great extent. He said death penalty was lifted and that important steps were taken on the way to democratization.
Scharioth said foreseen adjustment of the Turkish Constitution to the EU regulations proved determination of Turkey on the way to democracy.
Scharioth said meeting Copenhagen criteria would not be sufficient, stressing that political and social practices were also important. He said bureaucracy should not refrain from implementing the criteria.
Scharioth said Germany sincerely supported the reforms made in Turkey, noting that a decision would be taken in favor of Turkey in December in case Turkey maintained the dynamics.
Scharioth said Germany was the most important trade partner of Turkey, noting that the structural reforms and monetary policies fulfilled by the government strengthened the international belief in Turkish economy.
German Economy and Labor Ministry European Policy Department Chief Wolfgang Koberski said trade volume between Turkey and Germany was doubled in the past 10 years.
Wolfgang Koberski said cooperation between the two countries in industry should be further supported, noting that German companies showed their confidence in the Turkish economy with the investments they made.
Stating that the laws and reforms made by the Turkish parliament were appreciated, Koberski said Council of Europe would decide in April to what extent Turkey made progress on human rights and democratization.

Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul has said, ''the bilateral relations between Turkey and Germany having historical and political depth, now have a special characteristics in terms of content.''
Making the opening remarks of the 10th Term Meeting of Turkish-German Co-operation Council, Gul said, ''interaction between Turkey and Germany has been quite intense recently. Germany is the first or one of the first three partners of Turkey in many fields. These relations have diversified such as foreign trade, foreign investment, defense industry, tourism, culture, financial and technical co-operation.''
Noting that three dimension came to the forefront in Turkey-Germany relations, Gul listed these dimensions as humanitarian factors, Germany's support to Turkey's European Union (EU) membership process and Germany's contributions to Turkey's efforts of development.
Referring to Turkey's EU membership process, Gul said, ''Turkey has been continuing to take steps to reach its target of EU full membership with the same determination. We believe that our traditional friend and ally Germany would maintain its pioneering role in continuation of this process without any problems.''
Recalling that all issues about Turkey's EU membership process were taken up during visits of German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer to Turkey, Gul expressed his pleasure with positive approach of Germany towards Turkey's EU process.
''These encouraging messages are of special importance in this critical period. Turkey is aware of its responsibilities in this process. Our government will continue to take into consideration sensitivities of the EU-member countries, especially Germany, with great care,'' he said.
Gul noted, ''we observed with great pleasure that German economy circles were also aware of advantages of Turkey's membership to the EU to Germany and Europe. Today, Turkey has been living through an economic and social reform process. This process aiming to adjust and integrate Turkey to the EU in every fields, will also further deepen and enrich the bilateral relations between Turkey and Germany. Economic reforms and reconstruction process in Turkey will have positive impacts. We expect this process to encourage foreign investors to invest in Turkey and to accelerate our economy. Also, we hope that Turkish and foreign businessmen would make joint investments in the third countries in the future.''
''Investment regulations and practices in Turkey have been made more liberal. Privatization efforts have been speeded up and their scope has been enlarged. The Direct Foreign Investors Law, which took effect in June of 2003 has provided foreign investors with equal rights, lifted the lower-limit of amount of minimum foreign capital and removed difficulties in necessary permissions to be taken before investment, and restrictions in foreigners' obtaining properties,'' he said.
Describing Germany as the biggest economic and commercial partner of Turkey, Gul said, ''however, we cannot say that economic and commercial potentials of our countries are evaluated at maximum level. We think that we should seek ways to further improve our comprehensive and multilateral co-operation. Of course, Turkey's membership to the EU will accelerate our economic and commercial relations. Turkey's membership to the EU will assist the EU in becoming a global force. This fact is valid in prevention of many actual threats from terrorism to illicit drug trafficking, from illegal migration to environmental problems. Also, membership of a country having mostly a Muslim population will make valuable contributions to provision of compromise among cultures, and prevention of political-cultural tensions both in the region and in the world.''
''We believe that the EU would act with this vision as taking a vital decision about Turkey in December of 2004. Also, we believe that meetings held under the Turkish-German Co-operation Council will help us to reach positive consequences in regard to problems about sectors and new co-operation opportunities,'' he said.
Gul added, ''I believe that the meeting would constitute a ground for taking constructive steps to further improve commercial and economic relations between our countries.''
TOBB CHAIRMAN HISARCIKLIOGLU SAYS GERMANY IS THE FIRST PARTNER IN TURKEY'S FOREIGN TRADE
Germany is the first partner in Turkey's foreign trade, Union of Turkish Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) Chairman Rifat Hisarciklioglu said on Thursday.
Hisarciklioglu, who spoke at the opening session of the 10th term meetings of the Turkish-German Cooperation Council, said Turkey made nearly 14 percent of its total exports to Germany while Germany made nearly 17 percent of its total exports to Turkey.
Hisarciklioglu said Germany, with 1084 companies, ranked the first among foreign companies acting in Turkey.
Hisarciklioglu said business world always expended support to the government in fulfilling political reforms, and stressed that, ''we at the same time follow the performance of the government in putting into practice the reforms.''
Hisarciklioglu said, ''I would like to say that staying out of a new and big EU, including whole Europe continent and uniting 500 million people, would be an isolating development for our country if we again fail to be a full member of the EU.''
MFA UNDERSECRETARY ZIYAL: ''I WANT TO THANK GERMANY FOR ITS SUPPORT TO TURKEY'S EU MEMBERSHIP''
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal said on Thursday that studies of the Turkish-German Cooperation Council had an important function in reviewing several dimensions of bilateral relations, determining new cooperation fields and discussing possible difficulties and deficiencies and searches for ways of overcoming these difficulties.
Speaking at the opening session of the tenth term meetings of the Turkish-German Cooperation Council, Ziyal said those studies revealed that opinions of Turkey and Germany about problems in the region and its surroundings which were facing quite tough problems were very close to each other and that they included elements allowing development of strong cooperation in those issues.
Ziyal thanked Germany for its support to EU membership of Turkey which was its biggest strategic target.
Noting that Turkey had entered a swift process of growth with a sound economic program despite economic crises, Ziyal said that Turkey maintained economic success despite the Iraq crisis erupted during the most sensitive period of the country's economy, proving that the Turkish economy had a sound and dynamic basis.
Undersecretary Ziyal added that researching opportunities of cooperation in third countries and launching joint initiatives would be in favor of Turkey and Germany.