GUL – REHN JOINT NEWS CONFERENCE

Turkish Press
Oct 5 2006

ANKARA – "Turkey is aware of its deficiencies in the EU membership
process. The most important things are the determination, the capacity
of overcoming difficulties and showing everyone that we have that
capacity," said Turkish Foreign Minister & Deputy Prime Minister
Abdullah Gul on Wednesday.

Gul held a joint news conference together with EU Commissioner for
Enlargement Olli Rehn.

"Mr. Rehn’s visit coincided with the first anniversary of the opening
of entry talks between Turkey and the EU. We have recorded important
developments last year. Turkey has maintained the screening process
successfully. We consider the negotiation process a transformation for
Turkey. We also consider this process a period of modernization and a
period of increasing our standards to the level of EU-member states,"
he said.

"Turkey is aware of its deficiencies in the EU membership process.

The most important things are the determination, the capacity of
overcoming difficulties and showing everyone that we have that
capacity. Therefore, we need the negotiation process," he said.

Gul kept on saying, "Turkey has become a center of economic
attraction since October 3rd, 2005. We will continue fulfilling our
commitments. We expect the EU to contribute to our efforts in this
process."

Upon a question about the Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK),
Gul said, "we have a long negotiation process ahead of us. We will
increase all standards in Turkey."

When asked whether the resolution in France envisaging to punish
those who deny the so-called Armenian genocide was against freedom of
thought, Gul said, "during my meetings in France, I stressed that the
resolution was nothing but a contradiction. I hope that the resolution
will be rejected."

Upon another question about proposal of Finland on the Cyprus issue,
Gul told reporters, "if we succeed in resolving the Cyprus issue,
it will be beneficial for everyone. Together with Greece and Cyprus
as a whole, we can create an area of cooperation in the eastern
Mediterranean. Turkish Cypriots have fulfilled their responsibilities
to this end. We expect the same positive attitude from the other
party. We told Finland which holds the rotating EU presidency, that if
isolation of Turkish Cypriots was lifted, we could take some tangible
steps. However, no one should expect Turkey to take unilateral steps
as long as the isolation continued."

Speaking at the news conference, Rehn said that there was a difficult
and long period ahead of Turkey. He said that both Gul and he was
determined to this end, adding that Turkey and the EU would work
together to find solution to several problems which would enable the
parties to maintain the negotiation process.

Noting that he came to Ankara to mark the first anniversary of the
opening of entry talks between Turkey and the EU, Rehn said that the
Progress Report to be released in the coming weeks would include many
developments and several deficiencies.

Rehn told reporters that they were aware of the current threat of
terrorism, adding that terrorism jeopardized not only Turkey but the
whole world.

He said that they appreciated the reform process in Turkey, noting
that there were still many things to do.

Rehn stressed that his meetings in Ankara focused on freedom of
expression and freedom of religion.

He highlighted importance of Turkey’s fulfilling its commitments
stemming from the additional protocol extending the Customs Union
deal to cover the whole EU-member countries during the presidency
of Finland.

Referring to the Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK),
Rehn said some people in Turkey were tried because of their critical
attitude. He said that those trials stemmed from indefinite expressions
in the article.

Upon a question about the so-called Armenian genocide, Rehn said that
recognition of the so-called Armenian genocide was not a pre-condition
neither in Turkey’s negotiation process nor in the full membership
process. He highlighted importance of creating an appropriate
atmosphere for discussions over the issue in order to provide an
atmosphere of compromise between Turkish and Armenian societies.