ANKARA - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that Turkey, with the recent constitutional amendments, met all necessary political criteria to start full membership negotiations with the European Union (EU).
Erdogan said the year 2004 was determining for the future of Turkish-EU relations, stating that Turkey expected the negotiations to start with the EU by the end of this year. Erdogan said, ``Turkey, which has passed the critical threshold by putting into practice the reforms meeting Copenhagen Political Criteria, hopes that its rightful expectation will be met.``
Issuing a message on the occasion of May 9 Europe Day, Erdogan said this was the 4th time Turkey was celebrating Europe Day.
Erdogan said, ``important developments have been recorded in the past one year in Turkey`s EU full membership process and comprehensive and rooted reforms continued to meet political criteria. All necessary political criteria were fulfilled to start full membership negotiations with the EU with the recent constitutional amendments that were approved in the Parliament.``
Important steps have been taken in implementation of the reforms, Erdogan said, noting that, ``this will continue in the coming period. Important steps have been taken in economic reforms to adjust with the EU although it is not a condition to open negotiations. The most important thing is that inflation rate dropped to the lowest levels of the past 30 years. Ways were opened for growth by establishing stability and confidence atmosphere.``
Erdogan said, ``Turkey considers itself as a part of European Family. We see that the important contributions Turkey would make to the EU in many fields are better understood in time. We believe that our relations will advance more healthily and on strong basis after the EU starts to see Turkey as a partner to share the problems, not as a burden.``
(AY) 09.05.2004
ANKARA - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that Turkey, with the recent constitutional amendments, met all necessary political criteria to start full membership negotiations with the European Union (EU).
Erdogan said the year 2004 was determining for the future of Turkish-EU relations, stating that Turkey expected the negotiations to start with the EU by the end of this year. Erdogan said, ``Turkey, which has passed the critical threshold by putting into practice the reforms meeting Copenhagen Political Criteria, hopes that its rightful expectation will be met.``
Issuing a message on the occasion of May 9 Europe Day, Erdogan said this was the 4th time Turkey was celebrating Europe Day.
Erdogan said, ``important developments have been recorded in the past one year in Turkey`s EU full membership process and comprehensive and rooted reforms continued to meet political criteria. All necessary political criteria were fulfilled to start full membership negotiations with the EU with the recent constitutional amendments that were approved in the Parliament.``
Important steps have been taken in implementation of the reforms, Erdogan said, noting that, ``this will continue in the coming period. Important steps have been taken in economic reforms to adjust with the EU although it is not a condition to open negotiations. The most important thing is that inflation rate dropped to the lowest levels of the past 30 years. Ways were opened for growth by establishing stability and confidence atmosphere.``
Erdogan said, ``Turkey considers itself as a part of European Family. We see that the important contributions Turkey would make to the EU in many fields are better understood in time. We believe that our relations will advance more healthily and on strong basis after the EU starts to see Turkey as a partner to share the problems, not as a burden.``
(AY) 09.05.2004