Borrell Fontelles: A New Condition About Cyprus Is Not Put In Front Of Turkey

ISTANBUL (AA) - European Parliament (EP) President Josep Borrell Fontelles said on Saturday that a new condition about Cyprus was not put in front of Turkey.
     Borrell Fontelles spoke at a conference on ''Turkey-EU relations in the threshold of a critical decision'' held in Istanbul by Economic Development Foundation (IKV) and Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB).
     Replying to questions of reporters, Borrell Fontelles said accession to Europe did not mean getting money, stating that, ''this will be a very big mistake. Accession to Europe is to share a political project.''
     Stating that Spain began to get money as support six years after its accession, Borrell Fontelles said the EU did not want to share only the richness but to share a future. He said the EU did not have the quality of a commercial institution.''
     ''We want to share a joint project'' Borrell Fontelles said stressing, ''we want to set up an identity on joint values by building something on differences of each other.''
     When a participant said, ''How can Greek Cypriot side be a member of the EU although there is problem with its borders'' and asked, ''why we can not be a member of the EU?'' Borrell Fontelles said Turkey's some borders were dangerous.
     Borrell Fontelles said, ''for example, Turkey's border with Iraq is dangerous. Some people in Europe say, 'Turkey has some dangerous borders. If Turkey becomes a member of the EU, then those borders will be ours' This is another issue which we should be careful.''
     Borrell Fontelles said the difference between Turkey and the other countries was not only the level of economic development. He said, ''Estonia is poor like Turkey but it is easy to integrate this country to the economic system with its one million population. This is not easy with 70 million people.''
     Borrell Fontelles said, ''we should know each other well. I think the parliamentarians should visit Turkey often after December 17th. I am ready to go everywhere. We should know you well. This is one of the roles of the EP. I am very pleased to be here before the voting.''
     (AY)
2004-12-04