Roundup: Turkish parties, businessmen extend cautious welcome to EU entry decision
by Zheng Jinfa ANKARA

The Xinhua News Agency.
December 18, 2004 Saturday 10:00 AM EST

The EU decision to open Turkey’s entry talks on Oct. 3, 2005 met a
cautious welcome from Turkish parties and businessmen, who considered
it a success but acknowledged meanwhile more efforts were needed.

The Motherland Party (ANAP) said in a statement that a success was
made in “making concessions” during the Dec. 17 EU summit.

Mehmet Agar, leader of the True Path Party (DYP), told a news
conference that “we consider the point we reached as positive for
continuation of the EU process.”

Agar said EU did Turkey a favor by setting a date to open full
membership negotiations, adding that Turkey was granted a treatment
that was never shown to any country before.

Zafer Caglayan, chairman of Ankara Chamber of Industry, said the
decision to start full membership negotiations with Turkey was
pleasing, viewing it as “a new starting point for Turkey.”

Caglayan said Turkey entered a new period, and all society should
take responsibilities from now on.

Meanwhile, there were also some who struck a cautious note.

Former Parliament Speaker Husamettin Cindoruk considered the outcome as
“neither a success nor a failure”, but “an acquisition”.

“EU neither accepts us nor lets us go. EU will make a decision
according to the performance of Turkey,” Cindoruk told a seminar.

Cindoruk said there were two difficulties in reaching final agreements
with EU. “One is negotiations being ‘open-ended’ and the other is
the Cyprus issue.”

Sinan Aygun, chairman of Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO), echoed
his view.

He said this could be seen as a success, but it remained uncertain
what would be brought in front of Turkey till Oct. 3, 2005.

Aygun said Turkey would meet various limitations even if it became
an EU member, such as the Cyprus issue and the Armenian issue.

“We can not know that would be asked from us from now on,” Aygun said.