TULLAMORE - Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul met on Saturday wit his Bulgarian, British, French and German counterparts who all attended Gymnich-Informal European Union (EU) Foreign Ministerial meeting in Ireland.
Gul touched on issues concerning two countries during his meeting with Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Solomon Pasi.
In his meeting with British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Jack Straw, French Minister of Foreign Affairs Michel Barnier, and German Minister of Foreign Affairs Joschka Fischer, Gul discussed Turkey's European Union (EU) perspective and recent situation in Cyprus.
Gul said that Turkey expected to get a date to start full membership negotiations with the EU at the end of 2004 and therefore, Turkey was fulfilling its obligations.
Turkish Foreign Minister Gul reiterated Turkey's demand that United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan for a comprehensive settlement of Cyprus problem which would be put to simultaneous referenda in Cyprus on April 24 should be considered EU's primary law.
Gul stressed that Turkey was definitely against any delay in simultaneous referenda to be held in Cyprus.
Turkish Foreign Minister Gul attended working lunch hosted as a part of the informal meeting of EU ministers.
Gul left Turkey for Ireland to attend the Gymnich meeting on Friday. He attended the groundbreaking ceremony of a ceramic factory to be constructed by Turkish Eczacibasi Holding in Arklow together with Irish Minister of State for European Affairs Dick Roche.
Roche and Gul discussed recent developments in Cyprus issue prior and after the ceremony.
Turkish Foreign Minister Gul later attended a reception hosted at Turkey's Embassy in Dublin.
(BRC) 17.04.2004