ANKARA - President Abdullah Gul said Turkey did not expect privileges in the EU accession process, calling on related parties not to hinder the process.
"I would like to remind everyone that stirring up unnecessary trouble (in accession talks) has no legal foundation," Gul told reporters at a joint press conference Tuesday with his Italian counterpart Giorgio Napolitano.
Responding to a question by an Italian reporter, on remarks of certain European Statesmen claiming Turkey did not share the same culture with Europe, Gul said, in 2004, the EU summit unanimously decided to start negotiations after long discussions and through assessments, implying that this decision was legally binding.
"Pacta sunt servanda is the fundamental principle of international relations. This principle is binding for all," said Gul.
Gul said integration of countries like Spain and England with large populations and economies to the EU have always been painful, noting that a similar process was in progress with Turkey.
He said Turkey would fulfill its responsibilities and successfully complete negotiations and adapt its standards to thos of the EU.
"Then the EU will gather and say Turkey fulfilled the criteria, we can unite. Some countries decided to hold referendum on the issue. People of these countries may not want to be unite with Turkey. We will respect that. These are issues to be discussed in the future. Discussing these now will mean we are not honouring our own signatures and this would create a crisis of confidence. And that would not beneath the EU," said Gul.
Gul said Turkey embraced democracy, respect for human rights, free market principles and pluralism and continued to exert efforts to enhance these, underlining that in this context debates about Turkey's direction were futile.