ANKARA - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan hinted on Monday that Turkey would think that the European Union (EU) had mala fides if it kept Turkey waiting after December 2004.
National Policy Symposium in Adjustment Process to EU was opened in Turkish capital Ankara.
Speaking in the symposium, Erdogan said that Turkey was more prepared to EU membership than many EU full member countries when they were compared.
Erdogan stated that Turkish government was determined to raise living standards of its people and this determination was appreciated by foreigners.
December 2004 was important for starting negotiations with the EU, Erdogan pointed out.
Noting that Turkey might have some deficiencies, Erdogan said that even EU full members had not totally fulfilled EU acquis.
Erdogan stated that after Turkey had overcome all shortcomings, Turkey could no more be kept await at the door of the EU.
Turkey`s membership would make significant financial and moral contributions to both itself and the EU, Erdogan stressed.
Erdogan said that Europe should not be turned into an address where civilizations conflicted, but be an address where civilizations met and reconciled.
Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan expressed belief that when the EU was turned into an address where civilizations met and reconciled, it would give different messages to the world.
Noting that Turkey would join the EU as a representative of the compromise among civilizations, Erdogan said that Turkey would give a different dynamism to the EU.
Recalling that there were around four million Turks living in EU member countries, Erdogan said that Turkey was admitted to the EU thanks to its four million citizens living in EU member countries.
Erdogan stated that the EU would have a different kind of power when Turkey joined the Union.
Turkey`s EU candidacy was announced at Helsinki summit in December 1999.
The EU is expected to decide whether or not to start full membership negotiations with Turkey in its summit due in December 2004.
(BRC-AÖ) 21.06.2004