BRUSSELS (AA) - Talks continue on the European Union (EU) draft final summit statement, prepared by the European Council, envisaging start of full membership negotiations with Turkey on October 3rd, 2005 in case an agreement is reached on it.
     The draft statement, which was also an issue of discussion during a meeting between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, does not seem acceptable for Ankara.
     The presidency conclusion, which was added to the draft statement, expresses pleasure over Turkey's signing Ankara Agreement in a way covering 25 EU member countries, and envisages this issue to be completed before start of negotiations with Turkey.
     The Council also stresses that such a development would record progress between Turkey and the EU member countries.
     The draft expresses pleasure over the reforms made by Turkey and that they would continue. The draft includes legal issues which were demanded to be put into force by the European Commission.
     Among those are the irreversibility of political reform process, fundamental freedom, respect to human rights and zero tolerance to torture.
     The draft expresses belief that Turkey would be ready to improve relations with neighboring countries and be faithful to the principle of the UN agreement for solution of problems through peaceful ways to solve its border problems.
     The draft stressed that Turkey met Copenhagen political criteria sufficiently, and proposes start of full membership negotiations with Turkey on October 3rd, 2005.
     Below are the elements in the draft pertaining to the negotiations:
     -Negotiations are an open-ended process and its result can not be guaranteed beforehand.
     -European Commission, with its own initiative or request of one third of member countries, may suspend the negotiations in case the candidate country deviates from principles of faithfulness to freedom, democracy, fundamental human rights and freedoms and law.
     However there is a condition that the European Council should approve this decision by a majority of vote.
     (AY-A֩
2004-12-17