TURKISH, LUXEMBOURGIAN MINISTERS VIEW REFORMS, CYPRUS PROBLEM

Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
Nov 14 2006

Brussels, 14 November: "Criticisms that Turkey’s reforms on its way to
European Union (EU) membership slowed down stemmed from the inadequacy
in implementation rather than the willingness of the government,"
the Turkish state minister and chief negotiator for EU said on Tuesday
[14 November].

Speaking at a joint news conference after meeting Luxembourg’s minister
for EU affairs, Nicolas Schmit, [Ali] Babacan said he informed
executives from Luxembourg about Turkey’s efforts on reforms and
developments about Cyprus.

"Ninth Reform Package will be concluded soon. We make a very rapid
progress on human rights and freedom of speech," Babacan noted.

He said reforms continue in economy, as well as in politics, stating
that Turkey maintained a rapid growth.

"The approach of the EU (which is) against enlargement causes
difficulty," Babacan argued.

Turkish state minister emphasized that the process regarding Turkey’s
EU membership could be concluded within 3-4 years, stating that Turkey
would be ready for membership in 2014.

Replying to a question, Babacan said the fall-back in Turkish public
opinion’s support to the EU did not stem from the reform process but
from the statements of some European politicians against Turkey,
adoption by the French National Assembly of a bill making a crime
the denial of so-called Armenian genocide and injustice that Turkey
has to face on Cyprus.

Mentioning efforts of EU rotating president Finland on Cyprus,
Babacan said, "There is nothing submitted to the parties. There are
some ideas." He said Turkey would open its ports to the Greek Cypriot
party in case the blockade on [self-declared] TRNC [Turkish Republic
of Northern Cyprus] is lifted.

Nicolas Schmit

On the other hand, Schmit said they were pleased over statements of
Turkey that it was open to dialogue on Cyprus.

"Turkey’s accession to the EU is a long process. Such a process is
necessary to make the societies understand each other better and
to believe that this process is in their own interest. Schmit said
the EU does not apply any sanction against the Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and noted that lack of direct trade hampers
TRNC’s economic development.