FLORENCE - Turkish State Minister Ali Babacan has said that they aimed to start the European Union (EU) negotiations as soon as possible.
Following the meeting held by European University Institute and Sabanci University for relations between Turkey and the EU in Florence, Italy, Babacan told the A.A correspondent that, ''our target is to start full membership negotiations with the EU soon. The important this is that there should not be any deviation.''
Stating that Turkey should also record progress on implementation with firm steps, as it did in reforms, Babacan said that they believed that as long as Turkey's EU process continued without any problem, Turkey would have very bright days.
Babacan who delivered a speech in the meeting in Florence said that Turkey fulfilled reforms not only for EU and added that they fulfilled those reforms to make Turkey a more developed country in human rights, freedoms and democracy.
Babacan stressed that current Turkish government showed better performance than previous governments.
Underlining that if Turkey became a full member of the EU, this would make EU more affluent, Babacan said that it would also affect positively relations between civilizations.
Babacan said that Turkey had a big potential to attract foreign investors and noted that Turkey was a big market with its 70 million population and its national income which was about 6 thousand U.S. dollars per capita.
(EÖ-AY) 09.05.2004
FLORENCE - Turkish State Minister Ali Babacan has said that they aimed to start the European Union (EU) negotiations as soon as possible.
Following the meeting held by European University Institute and Sabanci University for relations between Turkey and the EU in Florence, Italy, Babacan told the A.A correspondent that, ''our target is to start full membership negotiations with the EU soon. The important this is that there should not be any deviation.''
Stating that Turkey should also record progress on implementation with firm steps, as it did in reforms, Babacan said that they believed that as long as Turkey's EU process continued without any problem, Turkey would have very bright days.
Babacan who delivered a speech in the meeting in Florence said that Turkey fulfilled reforms not only for EU and added that they fulfilled those reforms to make Turkey a more developed country in human rights, freedoms and democracy.
Babacan stressed that current Turkish government showed better performance than previous governments.
Underlining that if Turkey became a full member of the EU, this would make EU more affluent, Babacan said that it would also affect positively relations between civilizations.
Babacan said that Turkey had a big potential to attract foreign investors and noted that Turkey was a big market with its 70 million population and its national income which was about 6 thousand U.S. dollars per capita.
(EÖ-AY) 09.05.2004