BARCELONA - Alberto Navarro, Under-secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Spain, predicted on Monday that Turkey would become a European Union (EU) full member in 2014.
The Fourth EU-Turkey meeting began in Barcelona, Spain.
In the meeting, Navarro recalled that his country had to wait for so long to become an EU member.
Navarro said that his country favored opening full membership negotiations with Turkey and noted that 2014 could be an appropriate year to announce Turkey as EU full member.
Turkey was the EU candidate which received the least economic assistance from the EU despite its high population and economic problems, Navarro noted.
Navarro said that the EU was not a Christian club, and stated that Turkey's security and stability would be Europe's security and stability.
Opening full membership negotiation process between Turkey and the EU with cooperation of the two sides but without pronouncing any definite date was the best, Navarro claimed.
The EU announced Turkey's candidacy at Helsinki summit in December 1999.
EU is expected to decide whether or not to open negotiations with Turkey in its summit due in December 2004.
(BRC-AÖ) 21.06.2004