ANKARA (CIHAN) - Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül said on Monday that Turkey has passed a critical threshold concerning fulfillment of the European Union political criteria.
"Even if the EU progress report on Turkey is written tomorrow, Turkey has met its commitments to the EU," Gül told reporters on Monday in Ankara.
The European Commission will issue a report in October concerning the opening of the accession talks with Turkey.
Attending the EU Reform Monitoring Group meeting at which Justice Minister Cemil Çiçek, State Minister Mehmet Ali ªahin and Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu also attended, Gül said that Turkey fulfilled its promises made to the European Union within the context of the Integration Partnership Document and the National Program.
Gül said that there would not be a problem in the progress report.
Turkey is hoping to open entry talks with the European Union (EU) by the end of 2004, and has adopted a series of EU harmonization packages, including political and economic criteria, to meet membership requirements. The Turkish Parliament has adopted seven EU harmonization packages in the last two years, and has also abolished capital punishment in order to comply with EU standards.
EU leaders are due to meet in December to decide whether Turkey, a candidate country since 1999, has made enough progress on human rights and political freedoms for the initiation of the long-delayed accession talks.