Cyprus-Forum.com

[brother]

Turkish FM rules out EU membership "at any cost"

AFP: 11/10/2004

ANKARA, Nov 10 (AFP) - Turkey will make every effort to join the European Union, but its membership in the bloc is not an objective it will pursue at "any cost," Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said late Tuesday.

Gul told parliament the EU was wary of admitting a country as vast as Turkey but was forced to consider the issue when Ankara -- to the surpise of many -- conducted a series of far-reaching reforms to align itself with EU democracy norms.

"We will do our best and see what happens," Gul was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency. "If the outcome does not satisfy us, we will leave it there; if it does we will go on.

"We do not believe that Turkey should do anything at any cost to join the EU," he said.

Gul's comments came in response to questions by legislators -- from both his ruling Justice and Development Party and the opposition -- during a debate on the 2005 foreign affairs budget.

The minister described as a "great success" an October 6 report by the EU's executive arm, the European Commission, proclaiming Turkey ready for membership talks.

He nonetheless criticized several suggestions the commission made to EU leaders scheduled to meet on December 17 to make the final decision on whether to invite Turkey to the negotiating table.

The commission said accession talks with Turkey should be suspended if the country backtracks on democracy and mentioned the possibility of imposing permanent measures to bar the free movement of Turkish nationals in the EU.

"If these (restrictions) are temporary, we will agree to them," Gul said. "But we cannot accept an unconditional and indefinite absence of free movement from Turkey to another (EU) country."

He stressed that Ankara would also reject the suspension of negotiations for any reason other than serious breaches of democracy.

"We are making efforts to ensure that all these (conditions) are set out objectively, free of any deceit," Gul said.

[brother]

Turkey focussed on EU


'Turkey will continue keeping its eyes fixed on the West and Europe, even if the EU does not open accession talks next month,' Turkish Ambassador in Washington Log<breve>og<breve>lu says

ANKARA-Turkish Daily News


Turkey’s Ambassador to the United States Faruk Log<breve>og<breve>lu said yesterday that Ankara expected the European Union at its summit on Dec.17 in Brussels to decide on starting accession talks with Turkey in the second half of next year, the Anatolia news agency reported.
Turkey will not change its course towards Western civilization, even if EU leaders did not make a decision paving the way for Turkey's eventual EU membership, said Log<breve>og<breve>lu, speaking at a meeting organized by the European-American Business Council.
“Even if a positive outcome does not emerge from the summit on Dec. 17, Turkey will not turn to Russia, the Islamic World or the Middle East,” Anatolia quoted him as saying at a meeting entitled "Turkey in the New Millennium."
The European leaders' decision is expected to be in line with an EU Commission recommendation for the opening of Turkey's talks. The commission said last month that Turkey had fulfilled the Copenhagen criteria which are assumed as the only standards needed in order to open accession talks. ,



Log<breve>og<breve>lu said Turkey would definitely protect its current alliances without relying on the decision of the EU Council. He added there would be a process of questions if the EU rejected the opening of Turkey's talks and some circles may seek that Turkey turn towards another direction rather than its current objective of  modernization.
“Nevertheless, Turkey will keep its eyes fixed on the West and Europe,” Log<breve>og<breve>lu said. He added that Turkey would not give up its reform process.     

Log<breve>og<breve>lu, speaking on American the C-SPAN television station, said the United States would also benefit from Turkey’s EU membership in relation to its strategic, security and political interests. He added international relations of the United States would be strengthened by Turkey's EU accession.