ANKARA (AA) - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan left for Brussels on Wednesday to hold meetings prior to EU Summit on December 17th.
Erdogan told reporters prior to his departure, ''activities regarding legal preparations and our meetings in EU member countries within 2 years were completed. EU officials decided that Turkey can start negotiations and they said nothing remained on the table.''
''Our meetings in Brussels will be far from sentimentality and I hope these meetings will be completed in line with foundation criteria of the EU,'' added Erdogan.
''We have based our diplomatic understanding on honest and sincere rules until today. We have pursued our activities within this understanding,'' he said.
Erdogan stated, ''our understanding has been 'how this can be beneficial to both parties'. We have pursued all of our activities within this understanding. I would like to stress one of our sensitivities; what we can contribute to the EU, which is on the path of becoming a global power, to fulfill consensus among civilizations. We have always exerted efforts for this. I believe our friends will understand this as well.''
''We want an unconditional full membership and a negotiation process to start without a need for second decision. We do not want a criterion to be presented which does not exist among Copenhagen political criteria,'' said Erdogan.
Erdogan stated, ''I would like to say to Turkish people that politics does not accept sentimentality and we are not sentimental. We want to pursue this process with maturity.''
''The result can be positive or negative. It is not important. The important thing is that Turkey pursues a civilization project on its own feet. We would like to pursue this project together with the EU. But if a condition which we cannot accept is presented to us, I clearly say that we continue our path. Because, Turkey has the strength to carry this burden,'' he added.
When asked whether Turkey will leave the table if a negative decision is taken, Erdogan said, ''we do not expect any unacceptable condition. But if such a condition appears, we do not accept it. Certainly, we freeze it and continue our path.''
Upon a question whether European leaders will be far from sentimentality while making their decision, Erdogan said, ''I hope they will.''
When asked his view about the report on Turkey which the European Parliament approved, Erdogan said, ''I do not discuss positive and negative issues in the report. Because issues which are against Turkey were changed upon nearly 800 proposals. However there are still negative issues. The report is very meaningful.''
Turkish State Minister Besir Atalay, Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan, several bureaucrats and deputies are accompanying Erdogan.
(GC-MS)
2004-12-15