ISTANBUL - Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini on Tuesday extended full support to Turkey's European Union (EU) membership process and said that he saw Turkey a symbol of harmony and dialogue among cultures.
Frattini met with Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul in Istanbul, where the NATO summit was held.
Sources quoted Frattini as saying at his meeting with Gul that Turkey could trust Italy's friendship during its EU process.
Frattini recalled that the upcoming term president of the EU would be the Netherlands and said that Netherlands' term presidency would be positive for Turkey.
Other members of the Union were also extending active support to Turkey, Frattini stated.
Frattini said that he was very impressed by Turkey's holding of the NATO summit, and pointed out that this had shown Turkey's power and capacity.
He was making an objective observation, not praising Turkey with his words, Frattini said.
Frattini added that he considered Turkey a symbol of harmony and dialogue among cultures.
Earlier, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said that the 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.
French President Jacques Chirac said that Turkey's EU path was an ''irreversible'' process.
The EU announced that Turkey was 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-AÖ) 29.06.2004