Sezer: Intimacy Of Member Countries To The E.U. Will Be Tested In Copenhagen On December 12

ANKARA - President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said on Monday, ''member countries to the European Union (EU) and EU officials have been saying for a while that Turkey would be given a date for opening of accession talks after fulfilling Copenhagen political criteria. Turkey has made a series of legal arrangements to adjust itself with the EU. Now, intimacy of EU countries will be tested in Copenhagen on December 12, 2002. I think that they will not be successful in this test.''
President Sezer received Greek Ambassador to Turkey Mihail Christides.
During the meeting, Christides presented his credentials to President Sezer.
Responding questions of journalists prior to the meeting, President Sezer said, ''member countries to the EU and EU officials have been saying for one and an half year that Turkey would be given a date for opening of accession talks after fulfilling Copenhagen political criteria. Turkey has made a series of legal arrangements to adjust itself with the EU, and amended 34 articles of its Constitution. We expect the EU to set a date for opening of accession talks with Turkey. Now, intimacy of EU countries will be tested in Copenhagen on December 12, 2002. I think that they will not be successful in this test.''
When asked whether or not he would hold any contacts till Copenhagen Summit, President Sezer told reporters, ''no. I do not need to hold any contacts.''
When asked whether or not his decision not to attend the summit would affect the process negatively, President Sezer said, ''I do not think so. They have already given us clues of their decision.''
When asked whether or not Turkey would impose an economic sanction on the EU or re-assess the Customs Union, President Sezer said that it was not possible to say someting at this point.