BRUSSELS (AA) - Talks between high-level officials and technical teams of Turkey and the European Union (EU) continue synchronously before the meeting of the European Council that will begin in Belgian capital of Brussels Thursday evening.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who met his Italian counterpart Silvio Berlusconi, will continue his bilateral meetings until the heads of state and government summit starts.
On the other hand, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is meeting his interlocutors in the EU. Sources say that telephone traffic will continue as well as tete-a-tete meetings.
Meanwhile, deliberations continue between high-level officials of Turkish Foreign Ministry and EU Acting Presidency on the draft resolution to be adopted at the end of the summit.
Sources say that talks have a positive course although the two parties (Turkey and the EU) have not reached a satisfactory point. They are optimistic that parties will agree on a ''common ground''.
Refraining from detailing the studies on the draft resolutions since it can affect the course of talks and since any new development can occur in any minute, the same sources state that ''wording'' studies will continue till the last moment.
The same sources add that negotiations will most probably start in the second half of 2005.
(BRC-A֩
2004-12-16