BERLIN - Turkish Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc said on Monday that everybody knew that ''privileged partnership'', which was proposed by German Union parties (CDU/CSU) to Turkey instead of the European Union (EU) membership, was not a kindness for Turkey.
Arinc held a press conference for Turkish journalists at Turkish Embassy in Berlin.
Recalling that relations between Turkey and the EU depend on Accession Partnership Accord which was signed in 1963, Arinc said, ''it is not possible to explain this only with emotional relations. We can say that the ideas of those who are against Turkey's EU membership are not valid very much and not based on reasonable and just reasons. We know that privileged partnership proposal is not a kindness for Turkey. Turkey does not have such an issue and expectation. We have already been in such a partnership since 1996. Our interlocutors also know this. However, it is clear that such an issue is made an inner policy tool.''
Noting that there were many friendship bridges between Turkey and Germany, Arinc said that good relations both on intergovernmental and interparliamentary levels have been established between Turkey and Germany which is an important country in Europe. He added that Turkey aimed to increase and strengthen those relations especially in current period. He said that they were also trying to show the strength of parliaments to activate parliamentary diplomacy between Turkey and other countries.
Arinc noted that German Federal Parliament Speaker Wolfgang Thierse and he discussed two issues in the meeting.
Arinc quoted Thierse as saying during his visit to Turkey about two months ago that referenda were not held yet in Cyprus and that Turkey and Turkish Cypriots were in favor of peace, compromise and solution and added that it would be seen after result of referenda.
''It has been expressed mutually that steps should be taken on lifting embargo imposed on Turkish Cypriots and rescuing them from isolation,'' Arinc noted.
Stating that Thierse and he also discussed Leyla Zana, the former deputy of the outlawed Democracy Party (DEP), Arinc said, ''State Security Court (DGM) insisted on their first decision on Leyla Zana and her friends. It was considered an unfavorable development by European Parliament and German Parliament. When we explained it, we said that neither legislation nor execution could not intervene in judiciary and we also stated that it was also valid for whole Europe. They said that people should not be under arrest due to such cases in Turkey. Mentioned people were released with a new judiciary decision. They expressed their relief due to those people's release. They noted that no reservation left in implementation of reforms in Turkey.''
Arinc said that it could be possible for Turkey to start membership negotiations with EU with reforms that were fulfilled in the country and fulfillment of Copenhagen criteria at a great extent and stated that German government supported Turkey on this issue. He added that Italy and Britain also supported Turkey on this issue.
(GC-EÖ-AÖ) 14.06.2004