COPENHAGEN - Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis said on Thursday that Turkey took important steps in fulfilling Copenhagen criteria, so the negotiations can start in 2004.
Prime Minister Abdullah Gul and Simitis released statements to press after their meeting in Marriot Hotel.
Noting that Turkish government took important steps, Simitis said that significant progresses were made in previous weeks concerning Copenhagen criteria. He added, ''the reform packages are the proof of those efforts, so the negotiations can start in 2004.''
GUL: IT IS OUR RIGHT TO GET A DEFINITE AND OPEN DATE FROM EU
''We want a definite date from EU and this date should be the year 2003,'' Gul told reporters after meeting with his Greek counterpart Costas Simitis.
Gul said that he had a very sincere and beneficial meeting with Simitis. Noting that Turkey prepared two reform packages and one of them was adopted by the parliament, and the other one would be adopted soon, Gul said that ''we sincerely believe that we fulfilled the conditions that are necessary to fulfill before coming to Copenhagen. We did our homework in a considerable extent. Now the EU can't tell us that 'fulfill the requirements before coming here.' It is our right to get an open and definite date to start accession talks. We wait for it in this respect.''
Prime Minister Gul said that the beginning of the negotiation date should be 2003 and they requested EU leaders to give a definite decision in this issue.
Gul said that they also discussed other issues in the meeting, adding that ''we took up Cyprus issue. Our approach is positive, we certainly want to solve the problem. The solution of this problem should please both sides. But there is an easy way of solving all these issues because we are ready in fulfilling the necessary criteria. Now, we want to enter the EU's house. When we enter there, all the problems will be solved automatically. European identity will be a common identity and the solution of problems won't last long.''
''I would like to reiterate once again, we want a definite date and this date should be the year 2003,'' he said.