EKINLIK ADASI (ISLAND) - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that he considered negotiation process more important than European Union (EU) full membership.
When he was reminded of statement of German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who said that if the European Commission`s progress report proposed that membership negotiations be started with Turkey, leaders of EU member countries might take a ``conditioned`` decision on this issue, Erdogan said, ``the decision that will be taken in December 2004 is related with negotiation process.``
Stating that after membership negotiations started with Turkey, Turkey should put into practice the rest of Copenhagen Political Criteria and also fulfill Maastricht economic criteria, Erdogan stressed, ``it is difficult to estimate how long it will take. When it is finished, Turkey can be a full member of the Union. Thus, I consider negotiation process more important than full membership. After negotiation process starts, we will implement what is necessary and then the Union will make Turkey a full member. It will take five years or 10 years, it is not very important. What is important is Turkey`s fulfilling its task successfully.``
(EÖ-BRC) 17.07.2004