ISTANBUL (AA) - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that the tendency of inwardness in Europe was very detrimental, adding that this could harm the long-term EU perspective.
Erdogan met with Czech President Vaclav Klaus, Dutch Deputy Foreign Minister and Finance Minister Gerrit Zalm and IMF first managing director Anne Krueger in Istanbul the same day.
Prime Ministry high ranking officials said that in Erdogan-Klaus meeting, Klaus said Czech Republic was the country which supported Turkey's EU bid the most. Klaus stressed that he favored EU enlargement and Turkey was the most important candidate of such an enlargement.
Regarding Armenian claims, Klaus said that there was a general lack of information and ignorance in the world about Armenian issue.
Issues of Cyprus, Iraq, and developments in Afghanistan were also taken up in Erdogan-Klaus meeting.
In Erdogan's meeting with Zalm, the two leaders exchanged views about Turkey's economic situation, Cyprus and Armenia. Erdogan said in the meeting that the Netherlands was an important trade partner of Turkey, and Turkey expected support from the Netherlands about foreign investments.
Zalm said in his part that he envied the reforms undertaken by Turkey.
Regarding Cyprus, Erdogan said that ''Turkey did the necessary things about Cyprus issue, and there is nothing left for Turkey to do about extension of Ankara Agreement's additional protocol. Now we expect a letter from EU Commission.''
In Erdogan-Krueger meeting, Erdogan said that the economic reforms were successfully implemented in Turkey.
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2005-05-05