BERLIN - Germany appreciated and supported Turkey's reforms on the road to European Union (EU) membership, Turkish Industry and Trade Minister Ali Coskun said on Wednesday.
Coskun attended a meeting on ''Is Turkish Industry Ready for the EU Membership?'' organized by European Turks Initiative in Berlin in the German capital.
Turkish Industry and Trade Minister Coskun told reporters that Germany accepted that Turkey had fulfilled its obligations and made serious reforms to meet Copenhagen and Maastricht criteria.
Touching on his meeting with German Minister of Economics and Labor Wolfgang Clement, Coskun said that he and Clement agreed to further improve economic relations.
Coskun noted that he especially voiced problems that young Turkish citizens living in Germany faced in having an occupation.
He later met with representatives of German Retailers Association, Coskun stated.
Coskun said that he and representatives of German Retailers Association discussed joint investments.
Noting that Turkey had fulfilled all initiatives related with CE license for goods, Coskun said that but, Brussels had not officially registered it yet.
Coskun stated that Turkey stopped control of goods having CE license and coming from Germany or other EU countries to Turkey a week ago.
In the meeting, Coskun said that Turkey had announced 36 zones as development prior regions.
Coskun noted that Turkey was giving lands free of charge and had enabled tax exemption.
Turkey was cutting electricity prices by 50 percent for investors, Coskun stated.
Coskun recalled that Turkey had reduced bureaucratic procedures before investors.
Around 60 thousand Turkish enterprises in Germany had annual 30 billion Euro turnover, Coskun said.
Coskun stated that Turkish companies in Germany had made around 7.5 billion Euro investment.
''We are ready for Europe. If you are also ready, let's integrate,'' Coskun said.
Coskun pointed out that Turkey's situation was better than ten new EU members and said, ''Turkey's situation was also better than these countries 40 years ago. But, we are guilty since we can't explain ourselves. Now, we are here to express ourselves.''
Views of heads of state and government of EU member countries and experts about Turkey had changed so much in the recent one year, Coskun said.
Coskun noted that Turkey had no doubts that it had met criteria required for EU membership.
Turkish Industry and Trade Minister Coskun is expected to return to Turkey later in the day.
(BRC) 26.05.2004