Short: Turkey's E.U. Membership Will Be Beneficial For Both Turkey And E.U.

ISTANBUL, March 26 (A.A) - British Consul General Roger Short in Istanbul said on Tuesday that Britain supported Turkey's inclusion in the enlargement of the European Union (EU), and added that Turkey's EU membership would be beneficial for both Turkey and the EU.
Speaking at a conference at Istanbul's Kultur University, Short said that the EU's enlargement would create the biggest common market of the world, and it would facilitate fight against problems such as illicit drug trafficking, pollution and illegal migration.
Noting that Britain had been supporting Turkey's inclusion in the EU's enlargement from the very beginning, Short said that Turkey's EU membership would be beneficial for both Turkey and the EU.
Recalling that Turkey's candidacy was accepted within framework of the same conditions with the other countries, Short said that changes should be made on many issues in order to adjust with the EU norms in the membership process.
Short said that the EU did not have any intention to intervene in domestic affairs of Turkey during this process.
Noting that Turkey would become a full member of the EU after fulfilling criteria, Short said that some EU member countries objected to Turkey's membership by claiming that Turkey was an extremely big, different and problematic country.
He said that the same claims were also put forward against Britain, Short said that Britain would assist Turkey in the membership process.
Short said that Turkey had to implement a number of political reforms in order to have a stable economy adding that some of these already started.
''Torture should be prevented and people should be offered more freedom of expression. As for the minority issue, the EU has no intention of damaging Turkey's territorial integrity but it wants Turkey to lift obstacles in front of ethnical expression and cultural identity. The EU is not a Christian association. There are also minorities, for example there are ten million Muslims in the EU,'' he said.
About the Cyprus conflict, Short said ''Nobody is expecting Turkey to make a choice between its interests in the EU and in Cyprus. A just and sustainable solution that would guarantee the EU membership of a united Cyprus would also protect Turkish Cypriots' interests.''
''I hope Turkey develops its relations with the EU, like it happened with Britain,'' he said at the end of his speech.
A reporter said ''Under the Lausanne Treaty, there are no minorities but only religious minorities. But Europeans are talking about Armenian, Kurdishand Georgian minorities,'' and asked Short about his views on this matter. ''For this, we have to think about the conditions of 1923 when the Lausanne Treaty was signed. We want the obstacles in front of ethnic expression and cultural identity to be lifted. This doesn't mean recognizing their different status,'' he said.
Responding to a question about Kemalism, Short said ''I think Turkey should not quit Kemalism but modernize it.''