BRUSSELS - Olli Rehn, a member of the new European Commission which will start its mission on November 1st under the chairmanship of Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, said on Monday that he supposed that European Commission would start entry talks with Turkey.
Speaking at the European Parliament to give information about his plans as the future European Enlargement Commissioner, Rehn said that they had responsibilities and they should keep their promises.
Stating that Turkey should also comply with the Copenhagen criteria as other countries, Rehn said that EU Commission would convene on Wednesday and listen to Verheugen. Rehn noted that the decision that would be made by the Commission would express ''a long term political responsibility''.
Underlining Turkey's reforms and important steps, Rehn said that he supposed that the Commission would decide to start entry talks with Turkey. Rehn added that there was need for control mechanisms and those would be mentioned in the recommendations of the Commission.
Rehn said that EU public opinion was concerned about free movement of labor force, stating that transition process and permanent derogation could be envisaged to find a solution to this issue.
Rehn said that if they started negotiations with a country, it brought a responsibility, noting that if this country complied with EU standards and responded to their demands, then they should accept its accession to the union.
Answering a question, Rehn said that Turkey took important steps regarding human rights, noting that there were also developments about religion and minorities in the country.
Replying to questions on Cyprus, Rehn said that (UN Secretary General Kofi) Annan's plan on Cyprus was supported by the EU, stating that Turkey which assumed a positive stance towards the issue should not be punished.
Stating that the cost of Turkey's accession to the EU should not be exaggerated, Rehn said that he estimated that it would cost between 15 and 27 billion euro.
(EÖ-MS) 04.10.2004