Yilmaz: Target Is To Become A Full Member Of E.U. In 2007

ESSEN, Jan 27 (A.A) - State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz who came to Essen, Germany as the guest of Initiative Group, visited Essen-based Turkish Studies Center on Saturday.
Holding a press conference following the visit, Yilmaz said, ''Turkey aims to begin full membership negotiations with the European Union (EU) next year by fulfilling short-term commitments in 2002. Our target is to take place among countries that will become full members of the EU in 2007.''
Recalling that the parliament made its most comprehensive constitutional amendment of its history, Yilmaz said, ''these constitutional amendments are about our short-term commitments in the National Programme submitted to the EU. We, as the government, turned amendments including our commitments in the National Programme into an adjustment package.''
Referring to criticisms saying that some arrangements did not meet the EU's expectations, Yilmaz said, ''our government has been evaluating these criticisms. Leaders of three political parties forming the coalition government will convene on Monday after the meeting of the Council of Ministers to discuss these criticisms.''
''We will make some changes when the bill is brought onto parliamentary agenda. The real target of these arrangements is to meet the Copenhagen criteria,'' he said.
Yilmaz said, ''according to results of public survey, an important part of people in Europe are opposed to the EU's enlargement. Most of German people are against full membership of Poland and Czech Republic. However, candidace countries to the EU have been following the enlargement policy by taking into consideration positive results of the EU's enlargement for the future of both the EU and candidate countries. For the time being, enlargement is uncertain. Turkey is the only country that did not begin full membership negotiations. Turkey aims to begin full membership negotiations with the EU next year by fulfilling short-term commitments in 2002. Our target is to take place among countries that will become full member of the EU in 2007.''
''Tendencies in the German society should not discourage Turkey. Previous German government did not accept Turkey's candidicay to the EU. On the contrary, current German government supported Turkey's candidacy at Helsinki Summit in 1999. General elections will be held in Germany in a year. German opposition parties are opposed to Turkey's EU membership. If people of member countries decide on membership of other countries, any country cannot enter the EU,'' he said.
When asked whether or not Turkey sufficiently benefitted from EU's financial sources, Yilmaz said that Greece was the problem with the EU regarding extension of necessary financial source to Turkey.
Noting that existing sources were not at the level that could suffice Turkey's requirements, Yilmaz said that allocation of more source to Turkey would be in question in the new budget.
Yilmaz said that very serious amount of source would be given to Turkish economy from the infrastructure and regional funds together with Turkey's full membership.
Noting that Turkey was not obtaining external source only from the EU, Yilmaz said, ''now Turkey uses one-third of all loans that IMF gives to the world. According to the national income, Turkey is the country which obtains the biggest amount of source from the IMF so Turkey does not have the right to complain about matter of external source.''
Responding a question about education in mother tongue, Yilmaz said, ''Turkey's mother tongue education is Turkish. It is the ordering rule of our Constitution. Any education except this is impossible. Despite this clear rule of the Constitution, evey citizen in Turkey has the right to give petition. However, this right should not be used by changing it into a political campaign. If people take unfair advantage of this right, this creates tension in the society. So necessary measures should be taken. Every individual in Turkey is obliged to contribute to social peace. Those who violate this will be the circle which suffers more like in the past.''
Noting that broadcast in mother tongue was a matter foreseen under the Copenhagen criteria, Yilmaz said that the matter covered radio and television channels not the press.
Srtressing that there was a special law about the broadcast in Turkey, Yilmaz said that arrangements would be made about the matter, adding, ''this will be determined through a compromise at the parliament in a comprehensive way. Education in mother tongue and broadcast are separate issues. There should be broadcast but the issue of how this broadcast should be is still unclear. It will be solved.''
Yilmaz will return to Istanbul on Sunday.