ANKARA - Turkish Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc has said that Turkey had made great reforms in fields of democratization and freedoms and it was the most essential duty to put those reforms into practice.
Arinc received on Monday a delegation headed by German-Turkish Friendship Group Chairwoman and German Greens Party Parliamentarian Claudia Roth who have arrived in Ankara on an official visit.
Speaking at the meeting, Arinc said that Roth's previous visits to Turkey used to cause quarrels among politicians and the press used to give wide coverage to her visit.
''I suppose Mrs. Roth and delegation with her have seen a different Turkey this time,'' Arinc said and noted that they would leave Turkey with feelings of appreciation as they would see positive developments.
Stressing that all foreign delegations visiting Turkey appreciated and praised those reforms in Turkey, Arinc said, ''we think we really deserve it. Because the parliament has been making the most important reforms in recent years one after another.''
Recalling that the 22nd Term parliament had amended the Constitution and more than one hundred laws in last sixteen months, Arinc drew German parliamentarians' attention to latest constitutional amendment which completely annuls death sentence.
''Now our duty is to put these reforms into practice completely. When they are implemented our people will have a more democratic and free life. Because we do these for happiness of our people,'' he said.
Stressing that Turkey had recorded significant progress in fields of freedoms and democratization, Arinc said that they wished Roth and her friends would stand by Turkey in democratization process and support Turkey's European Union (EU) process.
Meanwhile, Claudia Roth said that they were paying a visit to Turkey while it was going through an important period and reform process with which they were pleased and they continued to support Turkey.
Noting that they were pleased with positive evaluation of Turkey's EU membership perspective, Roth said that Turkey had made important reforms during membership process, adding, ''now they can be called Ankara, Istanbul Bodrum or Diyarbakir criteria. Turkey made these reforms for sake of its people and had a great achievement.''
(MS-AÖ) 10.05.2004