Anatolia news agency, Ankara,
27 Sep 06

Turkey sees negative, positive Sides in EU progress report

Ankara, 27 September: "Although we consider the EP [European
Parliament] report unsatisfactory in regard to the positive
contribution that we have expected it to make to our EU process, we
find it important the EP’s efforts to prevent Turkish-EU relations
from being inflicted further harm by removing a part of our
uneasiness regarding with the report," Turkish Ministry of Foreign
Affairs said.

Releasing a statement on Wednesday [27 September], the ministry said:
"We hope that the sensitivity shown by the EP would contribute
positively to the continuation of the process. We appreciate the EP
members exerting efforts in this direction."

Recalling that European Parliament approved today Turkey report – on
the progress that Turkey has made regarding its accession process
since 3 October 3rd – which was prepared by Dutch parliamentarian
Camiel Eurlings, it stated that Turkish authorities have exerted
great efforts since 4 September 2006 to remove factors which did not
comply with the facts of Turkey and which might affect negatively
Turkish-EU relations.

The statement said: "Some of unfavourable components included in the
report have been eliminated. On the other hand, it still has some
elements which don’t have a direct connection with Turkey’s EU
process and which will not contribute to this process. Refusal of the
article which makes recognition of so-called Armenian genocide a
precondition of our membership, and support given to Turkey in its
fight with terrorism by condemning the terrorist organization PKK
[Kurdistan Workers’ Party], and underlining that the target of talks
is full membership, are important. It is also important that Turkey
has a functioning free market economy has been included in EP
documents."