ISTANBUL - Turkish Parliament-European Union (EU) Joint Parliamentary Commission (JPC) Co-Chairman Joost Lagendijk said on Friday that Turkey could not stay outside a possible war on Iraq.
Lagendijk made a speech on ''Turkey-EU relations under the light of current developments'' at the Pera Palace Hotel.
Turkish government and people acted like European governments and people with its attitude against war, Lagendijk said.
Recalling the decisions which were taken in Copenhagen Summit in December, Lagendijk said that the decision regarding Turkey could be evaluated as a reward for the progress recorded in Turkey in the last one year.
Lagendijk emphasized the importance of fulfillment of laws and said that the EU would like to see how Turkey was implementing reform laws.
Noting that they would also like to see what had happened in Turkey two months after the Copenhagen Summit, Lagendijk said that people in Europe were curious about whether Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government would continue reforms.
Lagendijk said that they would closely follow Turkey's initiatives on issues such as freedom of expression, prevention of torture and rights of minorities until the end of 2004.
Allowing broadcast in Kurdish for two hours on state television was not what Europeans had expected, Lagendijk noted and added and they expected private Kurdish media to broadcast in Kurdish language.
LAGENDIJK DEFENDS CHANGE OF ADMINISTRATION IN GREEK CYPRIOT SIDE WILL NEGATIVELY AFFECT CONSENSUS
Lagendijk defended that the change of administration in Greek Cypriot side would negatively affect the consensus issue and added that Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government seemed to be compromising.
Noting that Greek Cypriots were less pleased with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan than Turkish Cypriots, Lagendijk said that Denktas could make things difficult for Greek Cypriots by saying 'yes' to plan and so, membership of Greek Cypriots to European Union (EU) could enter a difficult condition.
Lagendijk said that if democracy would really come, Turkish people would fulfill it and that European Parliament would like to support Turkey. He added that Turkey should believe that negotiations would start in a very short time after 2004.
Noting that they would like to see Turkey in EU, Lagendijk said that Turkey should have to abide by the rules for this.
Lagendijk said that a possible war on Iraq would affect reforms in Turkey.
Lagendijk made a speech on ''Turkey-European Union (EU) relations under the light of current developments'' in Pera Palace Hotel.
If a war started in Iraq, Turkey could not stay out of it, Lagendijk said.
Noting that a possible war in Iraq would be effective on reforms in Turkey, Lagendijk said that many people in European Union (EU) considered Turkey as ''Trojan horse of the United States''.
Lagendijk said that people in Turkey said ''no to war'' like European people.
Turkey was under a heavy pressure and seemed to have to cooperate, Lagendijk noted.
Lagendijk said that if a war started in Iraq, Turkey could not stay out of it.
Stating that he was against the war, Lagendijk said that Turkish government and people acted like European people and governments with their attitude against war.
Noting that the reforms in Turkey would be decelerated if a long war happened in Iraq, Lagendijk said that if this happened, the date given to Turkey for opening of European Union (EU) accession negotiations, until the end of 2004, could be extended.
(GC-BRC) 22.02.2003