| |
|
|
|
|
|
||
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |||||
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
Schröder: Turkey Making Good Progress in Reform Process
Germany supports Turkey's desire to initiate membership negotiations immediately on receiving a positive vote from the EU Commission, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder announced after meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara. Speaking in Ankara on February 23, Schröder said there is a good chance that this will happen by the end of this year, given the good progress Turkey is making in its reform process. He indicated that the Erdogan government stands for a new kind of thinking that will overcome the old thinking that is still encountered from time to time. The Chancellor noted that Turkey has very close ties of friendship with Germany and named two reasons why Germany supports Turkey's wish to become a member of the European Union. Turkey's stabilizing role in the region Forty years ago the European Economic Community concluded an association agreement with Turkey. The role Turkey played back then as a guarantor of stability and development in the region was seen as a highly significant factor. The promise of full membership at some time in the future gave recognition to the importance of this role. Schröder observed that Turkey's stabilizing role in the region has grown even more important under the Erdogan government, adding that the latter sees a reconciliation between Islam and core values fundamental to the EU countries as one of its key tasks. He indicated that this work is of major importance in the process of establishing the rule of law in Turkey. The resultant growth in security that this will bring for Europe is something that should not be underestimated, Schröder noted. Common economic interests Germany of course has its own interests in seeing this process implemented as successfully as possible. The initiation of negotiations on EU membership will send out a signal that will trigger economic growth in Turkey, Schröder said. He is accompanied by a large business delegation, which has, among other things, held promising talks on close cooperation in the rail transport, air transport, and energy sectors. "We feel that the measure of economic cooperation we have achieved thus far leaves room for further growth and we want to achieve that growth," Schröder emphasized. Erdogan: reforms initiated Prime Minister Erdogan expressed Turkey's satisfaction at the backing it is receiving from the German government for its candidacy for EU membership as well as the increasingly open messages of support that have been heard in the recent past. He said the Turkish government reaffirmed its determination to implement legal reforms in an effective manner now that a large part of the Copenhagen criteria have been fulfilled and a critical threshold passed. Erdogan noted that Turkey expects a positive response from the EU in December, given that the reforms in question have all been initiated. 2004 is the year in which the reforms are being implemented. Long Relationship with the EU The prospect of future membership was held out to Turkey in an association agreement with the European Economic Community signed in 1963. At the Luxembourg European Council held in 1997 the heads of state and government decided that Turkey could be considered as a candidate for membership in the European Union. A decision was taken at the Cologne Summit in June 1999, under German EU Presidency, to pave the way for Turkey's candidate status. At the Helsinki European Council (December 8, 1999) Turkey was formally declared a candidate country. This status was further strengthened in Copenhagen in December 2002. Turkish Prime Minister's efforts in Cyprus question helpful Schröder remarked that the very prudent decision on the part of Prime Minister Erdogan to play a positive role in the negotiations on the Cyprus question had made a very good impression in the EU member countries. He said Erdogan's efforts to help bring about a resolution of the Cyprus question will doubtless be very helpful in terms of the assessments made by the EU Commission. Malta about to enter EU Chancellor Schröder flew on to Malta on the afternoon of February 24, after completing his talks in Turkey. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations and the opening of an embassy in Malta in 1965, political relations between Germany and Malta have been close and friendly. These ties have been maintained on the basis of numerous visits. Malta and nine other countries will accede to the European Union on May 1 this year. February 24, 2004 Links
Information from the Foreign Office: |
|
 Newsletters
 Printer-Friendly
Page
Email This Article |
||
|
|||||
|
|||||
