ANKARA - New Turkey Party (YTP) leader Ismail Cem said on Thursday that he had impression that Turkey's getting a negotiation date was very difficult, but not impossible at Copenhagen Summit during his meetings with the leaders of the European Union (EU).
Cem who held a press conference at YTP headquarters informed the listeners about his meetings with the EU Commissioner for enlargement Guenter Verheugen and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana in Brussels.
Stating that Turkey could not accept a date for date, Cem noted that Turkey has fulfilled the commitments which it undertook. He added that he conveyed the arrangements related to the EU which were prepared by the 58th government to Solana and Verheugen.
Ismail Cem said that Turkey had no difference from the other candidate countries and met the conditions for the negotiation and added that EU's not giving a negotiation date to Turkey had no legal and moral aspect.
Cem stated that if EU acted unjustly to Turkey, a situation which took place after the Luxembourg summit could appear again.
Noting that Turkey brought restrictions to its relations with the EU after this summit, Cem recalled that the relations began to improve again after Turkey's candidacy was approved in 1999. He added that EU should fulfil its responsibilities.
Cem said that Cyprus issue is not a precondition in Turkey's EU process, but it is evaluated as a political factor, adding that the U.N. plan foresees that Turkey-EU relations will develop and Turkey will probably become a member of the EU. ''If a date is not given to Turkey, this will make the model foreseen in U.N. plan as invalid,'' said Cem.
Cem said that if a date is given to Turkey, this will certainly ease the process in Cyprus, but 'a date for date' will negatively affect the process.
Upon another question, Cem said that it will be better if European Security and Defense Policy can be sorted out without disturbing the interests of Turkey.