ANKARA - Prime Minister Abdullah Gul summoned on Wednesday German Ambassador to Turkey Rudolf Schmidt and expressed Turkey's views on European Union (EU) membership.
Sources said that Gul asked Schmidt to convey the message that ''there could not be a pretext that Turkey was not fulfilling Copenhagen criteria'' to German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder before the meeting to take place between French President Jacques Chirac and Schroeder later in the day.
Here is the message that Gul asked Schmidt to convey to Schroeder: ''Think strategically. We have fulfilled all requirements of Copenhagen criteria. Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan also explained all these during his meeting with Schroeder. We presented two packages on adjustment to the EU to parliament. You cannot find pretext by saying that we do not fulfil Copenhagen criteria. Please, convey my message to Schroeder before his meeting with Chirac.''
Schmidt told reporters that Gul told him that two reform packages were prepared and submitted to parliament before Copenhagen summit.
He told Gul how willing the German government was about progress in relations between Turkey and the EU, Schmidt said.
Schmidt added that they hoped a signal in line with Turkey's expectations would be given in Copenhagen.