ISTANBUL - Turkish Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc said that he got positive impressions from his European counterparts about prospects of Turkey`s future relations and especially getting a date for opening of accession talks with the European Union (EU).
Arinc, who had attended EU Parliament Speakers` Conference in The Hague, returned to Turkey late on Sunday.
Holding a press conference at Istanbul`s Ataturk Airport, Arinc recalled that he had attended the conference upon invitation of Dutch House of Representatives President Frans Weisglas and Dutch Senate President Yvonne Timmerman-Buck.
``The conference focused on the relations between the EU and parliaments of the member countries, impacts of EU`s enlargement and inter-parliamentary relations among the EU-member countries. During the conference, I held bilateral talks with parliament speakers of the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Finland, Portugal, Bulgaria and Greece. I got positive impression from my counterparts about prospects of Turkey`s future membership and getting a date for opening of accession talks with the EU. They expressed their appreciation of the reform process in Turkey,`` Arinc added.
(UK-ULG) 05.07.2004