Tan: There Is Not Any Obstacle In Front Of Opening Of Negotiations Between Turkey And The E.U. On October 3rd

ANKARA (AA) - There is not any obstacle in front of opening of negotiations between Turkey and the EU on October 3rd, Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Namik Tan said on Wednesday.
     Tan told weekly press briefing that ''efforts have been under way to prepare the frame document for negotiation process.''
     ''We observed that the EU has recently faced several difficulties. However, none of those difficulties is related to Turkey. On May 30th, British Secretary of State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs Jack Straw called Turkish Foreign Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul, assuring him that negotiations between Turkey and the EU would start on October 3rd,'' he said.
     Pointing out that the EU had unanimously made the decision on opening of entry talks with Turkey, Tan said, ''the decision was signed by all participating leaders.''
    
     -ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL-
    
     Upon a question about additional protocol extending the Ankara Agreement to include the new member states, Tan said, ''Turkey has fulfilled its commitments. The protocol will be signed after the EU concludes its own commitments.''
     Replying to another question, Tan told reporters, ''we have still been waiting for the EU to keep its promises about lifting of embargoes on the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.''
     (UK-MS)
2005-06-01