RIGA - Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, who is paying an official visit to Latvia, met on Friday his Latvian counterpart Artis Pabriks in the capital city of Riga.
Two foreign ministers held a joint press conference after their meeting.
Gul defined his meeting with Pabriks as fruitful, and said that they discussed bilateral relations, and matters related to European Union (EU) and NATO.
Expressing pleasure to hear that Latvia would open an embassy in Turkish capital of Ankara, Gul announced that Turkey would also open an embassy in Latvia soon.
Asked whether the amendment to Turkish Penal Code (TCK) regarding adultery would be withdrawn, Gul said that the matter was still under discussion, and added that he was sorry that only one article was overshadowing all the reforms (performed in Turkey).
Gul noted that only ''a small article'' was discussed among 400 other articles in the draft TCK, and said that this article was interpreted in a wrongly manner.
''The amendment is actually aimed to protect women'', Gul stated. Noting that reforms continued in Turkey, he stated that they had adopted eight reform packages and passed the critical threshold.
-NEGOTIATIONS WITH EU-
Answering another question, Gul said that EU's (full membership) negotiations with large countries would last long, and how long negotiations would take depended on Turkey's performance.
Gul noted that everybody was ignoring one point, that is Turkey was a part of the (EU) Customs Union since 1995.
On the other hand, Latvian FM Pabriks said that the reforms implemented in Turkey in recent years were very impressing. He also stated that his meeting with Gul was very constructive.
After their meeting, Gul and Pabriks deposed a wreath on the Monument of Freedom.
Later, Gul attended a dinner hosted by Dainis Turlais, the Chairman of the Latvian-Turkish Interparliamentary Friendship Group.
(BRC-ULG) 10.09.2004