Yilmaz: Now Turkey Expects E.U. To Set Date For Opening Of Accession Negotiations At Copenhagen Summit

ISTANBUL - State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz said on Monday that Turkey had taken necessary steps by adopting the European Union (EU) reforms package and now it expected the EU to set a date for opening of accession negotiations at the Copenhagen Summit.
Yilmaz left for Copenhagen, the capital of EU Term President Denmark, to hold several contacts.
Releasing a written statement prior to his departure from Istanbul's Ataturk Airport, Yilmaz said that he would have a meeting with Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Tuesday and later he would meet with Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moller at lunch.
The aim of his visit was to inform in interlocutors on EU reform package adopted by the parliament on August 3, 2002, he said.
''Rasmussen earlier paid a visit to Ankara in April. At that time, he told us that those reforms should be adopted immediately otherwise, it was impossible to record progress and set a starting date for accession negotiations at the Copenhagen Summit in December,'' Yilmaz said.
''Turkey has taken the necessary step. Now, Turkey expects the EU to set a date for opening of accession negotiations at the Copenhagen Summit. So the aim of my visit is to inform the EU Term President Denmark on these reforms and convey the Turkish government's expectations from the Copenhagen Summit,'' he added.
Interparliamentary Union Turkish Group Chairman and Istanbul deputy Cavit Kavak, Turkey's Secretary General for the EU Volkan Vural and Foreign Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Akin Alptuna are accompanying Yilmaz.