ANKARA - Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said on Friday, ''European countries have failed to put forward a clear political will about setting a date for opening of accession talks with Turkey. If the European Union (EU) plans to become a grand union, it has to include Turkey.''
Speaking at a live programme on private ATV Channel, Gul said, ''Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan and I have been working in cooperation. While I have been leading the government, he has been heading our political party. This situation will continue for a while. It is my duty to remove deficiencies in democracy and lift political bans.''
Stressing that some urgent problems of Turkey should be solved before launching initiatives to lift political bans, Prime Minister Gul said that issues regarded with constitutional amendment would be brought onto agenda in the course of the time.
Responding a question about Erdogan's visits to the EU member countries, Prime Minister Gul said that Erdogan had paid visits to the EU countries as leader of a political party, and he would pay visits to some countries on behalf of the state.
Responding a question about Turkey's EU full membership process, Prime Minister Gul said, ''all countries assumed a positive attitude during visits of Erdogan. However, we observed that Europe was bewildered. Europe did not expect the AK Party to display such a determination and political will about the EU full membership. The 57th government took important steps about the EU full membership, and now, we are about to take new steps. In fact, the EU does not have any excuse. But, European countries have failed to put forward a clear political will about setting a date for opening of accession talks with Turkey. If the EU plans to become a grand union, it has to include Turkey.''
Referring to the Cyprus question, Prime Minister Gul said, ''it is not correct to exclude President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on the issue of finding a solution to the Cyprus question. We will make an assessment by exchanging views with each other. We are in favor of settlement of peace in the island. But, we have to act very carefully.''
Gul said that they wrote letters to EU countries that the suggestions of United Nations (U.N.) Secretary General Kofi Annan can be discussed and negotiated.
Noting that EU will lose if it does not give a date to Turkey in Copenhagen Summit on December 12, Gul said that Turkey will continue its path if it is not given a date. He added that Turkey fulfilled the political criteria of Copenhagen and will strengthen it more. Gul also emphasized that those criteria also include the necessary things which should be fulfilled for Turkish people.
Gul said that the studies for the laws which take place in EU adjustment package are continuing and added that they would like to present the package to the Parliament before December 12 by holding an extraordinary Council of Ministers meeting.
Upon a question on headscarf, Gul said that Turkey is a country which claims that it is ready for EU membership and he added that they cannot explain a ban in Turkey which does not exist in European universities. He said that this issue became the center of politics and the subject of political exploiting, thus finding a solution became more difficult.
When asked about financial zero year, Gul said that an amount of money worth of 100 billion dollars is remaining in foreign banks, adding that they would like to draw it to the economy. He said that some problems can appear with the lifting of financial zero year, but that money should be used in economy.
Upon a question of Turkey's manner if an operation is launched against Iraq, Gul recalled that they do not want a war in Iraq, adding that Gulf Crisis caused Turkey great losses.
Gul said that they do not want mass destruction weapons in the neighbor country and added that the best thing is that U.N. arm inspectors should examine Iraq completely.