German Chancellor: E.U. Should Decide To Open Talks With Turkey Year-end

ISTANBUL - German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said on Tuesday that the European Union (EU) should keep the promise it made to Turkey 41 years ago and make a decision to open full membership negotiations with Turkey, at the end of this year.
Schroeder, who is in Istanbul for the NATO summit, held a press conference in which he praised Turkey's successful holding of the two-day summit.
The EU should decide to start membership negotiations with Turkey at the end of this year in case the EU Commission prepared a positive report on the progress recorded by Turkey, Schroeder said.
Schroeder appreciated reforms performed and steps taken by Turkey in recent years.
The EU announced that Turkey is a candidate at EU Helsinki Summit in 1999. The EU is expected to decide whether or not to open negotiations with Turkey in its summit in December.
(BRC-ULG) 29.06.2004