Prime Ministry Issues Circular For Turkey's Adjustment To E.U.

ANKARA - Turkey which wants to get a date from EU for starting of full membership negotiations in EU Copenhagen summit, speeds up its studies to adjust with the EU by publishing a circular.
The circular which was issued on September 13 gives information about the recent stage of Turkey's EU membership process, and lists the things that must be done for implementation of the EU adjustment laws adopted by the parliament on August 3.
The circular stresses that Turkey expects a date to be given for starting of accession negotiations during the EU heads of states and governments that will be held in Copenhagen between 12-13 December.
The prime ministry circular also refers to the important dates Turkey have to closely monitor in the three-month period until Copenhagen summit. The circular recalled that the EU Commission will publish the progress reports about EU candidate countries and the Enlargement Strategy document on October 16 and that the EU Term President Denmark will hold the extraordinary Brussels summit between 24-25 October.
EU countries are expected to reach a preliminary agreement about the decisions that will be taken up during the Copenhagen summit regarding the enlargement process, it was noted in the circular, adding that the progress reports that will be prepared by the EU Commission will constitute a basis for these evaluations.
According to the circular, Turkey will take into consideration the EU scheduled programme and speed up its adjustment studies in line with the Accession Partnership Document published on Nov. 8 2000, Progress Report dated Nov. 13 2001 and Enlargement Strategy and its own national programme.
''Necessary measures will be taken to complete all the commitments covered in the political criteria part of the national programme which could not be fulfilled to date, until Nov. 15, 2002,'' it was added.
The circular says that necessary bills and draft regulations about the ''Law no:4709 on Amendment to Some Articles of the Constitution, the Law no:4744 on Amendment to Some Laws and the Law no:4748 on Amendment to Several Laws'' should be transferred to the Prime Ministry until October 15, 2002 for ''complete reflection into implementation''.
The circular mentions that other measures necessary for implementation of these laws in line with their words and effective control of implementation would be taken until October 15.
Meanwhile, the circular notes that the draft implementation regulations which are foreseen to be adopted under the Law no:4771 would be sent to the Prime Ministry by November 1, 2002 while the bills on approval of all international conventions which Turkey should sign in order to complete political criteria would be sent to the Prime Ministry by October 15, 2002.
Under this Prime Ministry circular, monitoring commissions will be formed to rapidly investigate concrete allegations about violation of human rights especially torture and to publicly announce results of these investigations.
In addition to activities of the Prime Ministry Human Rights Department, supreme commissions which will be formed under structure of the State Ministry for Human Rights, Justice Ministry and Interior Ministry will work in coordination and directly under instructions of ministers. If it is necessary, information will be gathered in cooperation with other institutions and agencies and those information will be publicly announced by the State Minister for Human Rights, Justice Minister and Interior Minister.
Meanwhile, public organizations will convey such concrete allegations they receive to these commissions together with results of their investigation.
Under this circular, ''Commission for Adjustment With the EU Acquis'' will be formed until October 1, 2002.
These commissions will be formed within structure of each ministry and public organization and work for 24 hours a day under supervision of the ministers and chairman of public organizations.
Professors or university lecturers can be assigned in these commissions temporarily if it is seen necessary. These professors or lecturers will be named by the Higher Board of Education (YOK).
''These commissions will guide and control works on adjustment with the EU. They will determine necessary legal and administrative measures about the Turkish regulations regarding adjustment with the EU. If it is seen necessary, they will ask for opinions of other organizations within thirty days and they will send the draft regulations and bills to the Prime Ministry,'' it says.
During their work on regulations on adjustment with the EU, these commissions can get opinion and expert assistance of the EU Commission and Council of Europe through the Foreign Ministry and Turkey's Secretariat General for the EU.