LONDON - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is currently in Britain for a three day visit, met on Friday with members of Turkish-British Chamber of Trade and Industry in London.
Stating that he did not want to consider any negative result concerning the European Union's (EU) starting membership negotiation process with Turkey in December 2004, Erdogan said that a negative result would disappoint Turkey and such a result would be a loss for EU.
Erdogan said that if EU decided not to start membership negotiations with Turkey, reforms that Turkey fulfilled would be named ''Ankara criteria'' and stated that even if Turkey was not accepted to the Union, it would continue to walk on its path.
Noting that Turkey recorded great progress in its economy, he said that there was stable growth in Turkish economy despite economic crises.
Erdogan stated that there was a great development in commercial relations between Turkey and Britain and said that reforms that were fulfilled in Turkey made the country an attractive country for foreign investors.
Erdogan thanked Britain for its support to Turkey's EU membership and called on investors to further develop trade between the two countries.
Prime Minister Erdogan had a meeting with Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs Lord Falconer.
Prime Minister Erdogan is visiting British capital London as the guest of Oxford University.
Erdogan will deliver a speech entitled, ''Why the European Union needs Turkey'' at Oxford University the same day.
(EÖ-AÖ) 28.05.2004