ISTANBUL - Turkish State Minister Mehmet Aydin left for Spain on Wednesday to attend a conference to be hosted by Carlos Ambres Foundation on ''Turkey-European Union (EU) Relations'' on June 3.
Prior to his departure, Aydin told reporters that Turkish government and all institutions were working hard on issues concerning EU and noted that those activities would continue till mid-October.
Stating that there was a cultural argument in relations between Turkey and EU, Aydin said that Turkey should be promoted better.
Aydin noted that he would proceed from Madrid to Hamburg.
Informing reporters about his meetings in Gulf countries, Aydin said that his talks focused on Cyprus issue.
Aydin stated that they demanded that Cyprus issue should be taken up in the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) foreign ministers meeting that would be held in Istanbul in June and noted, ''we first demand that economic embargoes and isolation imposed on Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) should end. It will be a very important step. TRNC voted in favor of and Greek Cypriot side voted against U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan on Cyprus. Society in favor of peace should be rewarded.''
(EÖ-AÖ) 02.06.2004