ANKARA - Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said on Thursday that Turkey expects equal treatment from the European Union (EU), as it did for other candidate countries.
Sezer, who issued a message upon the 81st anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of Turkey, said, ''we believe that we have fulfilled our responsibilities to get a positive result in our EU membership process. Now, it's the turn of our European partners to take steps.''
Sezer went on saying, ''Turkish nation rightfully expects the EU to open accession negotiations with our country in the first months of 2005, not to impose additional preconditions, and not to behave discriminatingly towards our country. We hope the EU member states, who will pass a test of sincerity, will assume an objective, consistent and constructive attitude towards Turkey, and not to impose any criteria or methods on Turkey different than those applied to other candidate states.''

-TURKISH NATION IS A CONCEPT MENTIONING A HIGHER IDENTITY-
On the other hand, Sezer said that the concept of ''Turkish nation'', which was one of foundation aspects of the Republic of Turkey and which was cited in the Turkish Constitution, was used to characterize a higher identity.
''Bringing forth ethnic, religious or sectarian identities of societies, which co-exist and intermingle, will harm not only the state but also the national unity,'' Sezer said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in his message, ''the target of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk to carry Turkey up to the level of modern civilizations has turned into a common will adopted by each Turkish citizens.
''Today, Republic of Turkey has already taken its place in the modern world with its power stemming from its secular and democratic structure. Turkey will continue progressing on the path leading to a brilliant future,'' he added.
In his message to mark the 81st anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Turkey, Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, Chief of General Staff said, ''soldiers, who founded the modern Republic of Turkey, will continue to contribute Turkey's efforts to reach the level of contemporary civilizations in the future.''
Ozkok, in his message, also pointed to the concept of ''higher identity'' which eliminates religious and ethnic differences, and added that Anatolia (Turkey) had become a place where ethnic interminglement defeated ethnic conflicts.
(BRC-UK-ULG) 28.10.2004