ISTANBUL - Turkish-American Business Council working under auspices of Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) sent a letter to U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and asked for the U.S. administration to support Turkey on its membership to the European Union (EU).
Turkish-American Business Council said in a statement on Thursday that they asked the Bush government which has exerted support for Turkey's being given a negotiation date at Copenhagen Summit so far, to continue to support the country also from now on, in the letter signed by Council Chairman Akin Ongor and Deputy Chairman Yilmaz Arguden.
The letter said that Turkey has recently fulfilled several reforms in the political and economic fields as a part of adjustment to the Copenhagen criteria and Europe acted unwillingly to open its doors to Turkey.
Turkish-American Business Council said in the letter that Turkey's EU membership was also to the interest of Europe and stated that Turkish business circle expected Europe to notice this before the summit to be held in December.
The council also congratulated Cheney for his success in the last elections in the United States in its letter, which said that Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government attributed great importance to the development of the relations between Turkey and the United States.
Meanwhile, Turkish-American Business Council hosted a dinner at Istanbul's Ciragan Palace on Wednesday in honour of U.S. House of Representatives Speaker J. Dennis Hastert and seven members of the congress.
Ongor, who delivered a speech at dinner, said that the United States should establish a full strategic partnership with Turkey.
Hastert said that the United States attributed great importance to its relations with Turkey and added that the U.S. administration and the congress supported Turkey's membership to the EU and they would continue to support it.