BERLIN - Turkish Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc, who is currently in Germany on an official visit, met on Monday with German Federal Parliament Speaker Wolfgang Thierse.
Replying to questions of Turkish journalists following the meeting, Thierse said that they welcomed the Turkish court's decision to release Leyla Zana, the former deputy of the outlawed Democracy Party (DEP), and her friends from prison.
Noting that Turkey's European Union (EU) membership perspective was taken up at the meeting, Thierse said that the German government and most of German parliamentarians were in favor of that perspective.
Pointing out that the opposition parties (CDU/CSU) advocated setting up special relations with Turkey while they rejected Turkey's EU membership, Thierse told reporters that they should exert intense efforts to inform the EU public opinions on possible contributions of Turkey's membership to the EU.
Arinc will be received by President Johannes Rau of Germany later in the day.
(UK-AÖ) 14.06.2004