SEZER: WE BELIEVE THAT EU ENLARGEMENT SHOULD BE A PROCESS
WARSOW - Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer has said, ''formations in Europe has gained a new dimension and acceleration as a result of enlargement of the European Union (EU). However, we believe that the EU enlargement should be a process. Turkey's becoming a member of the EU will be a significant stage in this process.''
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, who is currently paying a state visit to Poland, and President Aleksander Kwasniewski of Poland presided the meetings between Turkey and Polish delegations on Tuesday.
Following the meetings, an Action Plan aiming to further improve the bilateral relations between Turkey and Poland was signed by Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Deputy Undersecretary Volkan Bozkir and Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Sariusz Najar.
Later, President Sezer and President Kwasniewski held a joint news conference.
President Sezer said, ''at the meeting, we discussed bilateral and regional relations in detail. We mutually expressed our will to further deepen our bilateral relations.''
Expressing his pleasure with Poland's becoming a full member of the EU as of May 1, 2004, President Sezer congratulated President Kwasniewski to this end.
''Formations in Europe has gained a new dimension and acceleration as a result of enlargement of the European Union (EU). However, we believe that the enlargement should be a process. Turkey's becoming a member of the EU will be a significant stage in this process,'' he stressed.
Referring to the economic and commercial relations between Turkey and Poland, President Sezer said, ''we should mutually exert efforts to further improve our economic and commercial relations. We invite Polish businessmen to invest in Turkey.''
KWASNIEWSKI: TURKEY SHOULD EXIST WITHIN THE EU
Kwasniewski expressed his pleasure for hosting Sezer in Poland. He said that relations between Turkey and Poland were on very good level and he recalled mutual high-ranking visits, noting that those were the evidence of current stage in bilateral relations.
Kwasniewski said that they discussed further development of commercial relations and also took up security and military cooperation. He added that all of those issues took place in Action Plan.
Kwasniewski said that they also discussed NATO Summit which would be held in Istanbul in June and he noted the importance of the summit.
Noting that they have evaluated Iraq issue in their meeting, Kwasniewski said that they wanted settlement of stability and protection of territorial integrity in Iraq.
Kwasniewski said that they discussed the EU issue as well. He noted that Poland supported Turkey's starting membership negotiations, adding that they have expressed in meetings that Turkey should exist within the EU.
PRESIDENT SEZER ASKS PRESIDENT KWASNIEWSKI OF POLAND TO SUPPORT TURKEY'S EU PROCESS
President Sezer has asked Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski to maintain Poland's support to Turkey's European Union (EU) process in the coming periods.
President Sezer said, ''I hope that Poland will continue extending support to Turkey's EU process.''
Both President Kwasniewski and Prime Minister Belka responded President Sezer in the affirmative.
President Kwasniewski said Europe had became a multicultural and multi-religious continent.
He added that they attributed political, economic and cultural importance to Turkey's EU membership.
PRESIDENT SEZER: ''EMBARGOES IMPOSED ON TRNC SHOULD BE LIFTED''
President Sezer has said, ''embargoes and similar restrictions imposed on Turkish Cypriot people for years should be lifted.''
President Sezer gave information about the process on the island and Turkey's views about the Cyprus issue.
''The twin referendums in Cyprus on April 24 have revealed that it was not Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) which did not want solution. However, the Greek Cypriot side, which rejected the solution, became a full member of the European Union (EU) while the Turkish Cypriot side, which supported it, was excluded from the EU. It is nothing but a contradiction,'' he said.
President Sezer added, ''embargoes and similar restrictions imposed on Turkish Cypriot people for years should be lifted.''
PRESIDENT SEZER: ''DEVELOPMENTS IN IRAQ ARE NOT HOPEFUL AT ALL''
President Sezer said, ''developments in Iraq are not hopeful at all. Unfortunately, peace and stability could not be provided in Iraq yet.'' He added that any solution to the Iraq issue should enable all sections' participation in comparison with the population.
(UK-AÖ) 01.06.2004