TURKEY REPORT TO HARM TURKEY – E.U. RELATIONS, BOZKIR

Turkish Press, MI
Sept 11 2006

STRASBOURG – The report on Turkey’s progress towards accession,
adopted by the European Parliament’s (EP) Committee on Foreign Affairs
on Monday, includes expressions that may harm Turkey-EU relations,
said Turkey’s Permanent Representative to EU Volkan Bozkir.

Speaking to A.A correspondent, Bozkir said that about 300 motions
for amendments are being voted tonight, and added, "we will assess
the result of the vote more carefully. But it seems that members of
the committee have not taken our warnings as serious."

On the other hand, Turkey-EU Joint Parliament Committee Co-Chairman
Joost Lagendijk said that he is not pleased with the outcome of
tonight’s vote, and said that the Armenian issue has taken its place
in the report with harsher expressions.

Lagendijk added that he is neither pleased with the motions added to
the report regarding Cyprus problem.

Meanwhile, German MEP Cem Ozdemir of Turkish origin said that the
parliament has not assumed a different stance on Armenian issue.

"It should not be forgotten that Germany wanted the Union to condition
Czech Republic’s membership on taking back its resolution regarding the
Germans expelled after the World War II. However, the Czech Republic
did not take this resolution back, and despite this it joined the
EU. And it is an EU member today. This means that such decisions are
political decisions. In my opinion, Turkey should continue its path
to the EU without any deviation," he added.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress