BRUSSELS - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday, ''now, our 41-year efforts will start yielding results.''
Holding a news conference together with Foreign Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, State Minister Besir Atalay, and Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan, Prime Minister Erdogan assessed results of the EU Summit in Brussels.
''During the Copenhagen Summit in 2002, the EU pledged to open the entry talks without any delay after Turkey fulfilled the Copenhagen criteria. We have displayed Turkey's determination to fulfil the Copenhagen political criteria by relying on the promise of the EU. Despite all these, new conditions, which are not included in the Copenhagen political criteria, do not conform to the EU acquits and will not have any function in practice, were put forward in front of Turkey prior to today's EU Summit. During our two-day intense meetings, we have tried to seek formula to adjust them with at least the European law with the assumption that the European culture is originally a compromise culture. We said that extension of the Ankara Agreement in line with the 25-member structure of the EU to Cyprus was a technical procedure. During my latest speech at the EU Summit, I stressed that signing of adjustment protocol under a compromise in line with the procedure is absolutely not a matter of recognition. It was also explained during news conference of the EU presidency and the heads of state and government of the other member countries. Also, Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende of the Netherlands clearly stated that it was not a recognition. As a result of all our efforts and self-sacrificing approach, a schedule has already begun for opening of negotiations with the target of the EU full membership,'' he said.
Prime Minister Erdogan told reporters, ''our target is full membership, and it was corroborated by leaving no room for any hesitations. This schedule will deepen adjustment to the EU acquis and institutions, and enable us to resolve many problems. In the same way, the EU has set a certain date for opening of accession talks with Turkey: October 3rd, 2005. A second decision will not be required for opening of full membership negotiations between Turkey and the EU. Now, our 41-year efforts will yield results. Today is the beginning of our progress in the future.''
''Each step to be taken from now on will make Turkey be closer to its target and priorities. However, I want to underline once again that the ensuing process will be more difficult. I believe that Turkey does have the enough power to overcome it with its interactive human potential. As we have said many times, Turkey considers its relations with the EU as a project of civilization, and a project of peace and cooperation. We stressed on numerous occasions that the EU is not an economic union, not a Christian club, but it is a unity of values,'' he said.
Prime Minister Erdogan kept on saying, ''Turkey is a great country which can overcome all difficulties and make geo-strategic and geo-cultural contributions to the EU with its history, geography, culture, economy, dynamic and young population, and modern and democratic experiences. We believe that the EU will become more aware of Turkey's future contributions during the negotiation process. As a result of this historic step, all those structural transformations will start to strike roots in our mentality and social structure.''
(UK-MS)
17.12.2004 - 20:15:00