EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: TURKISH-ARMENIAN BORDER SHOULD BE OPEN

PanARMENIAN.Net
19.09.2008 14:21 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The president of the Liberal Group of the European
Parliament said yesterday that Turkey’s relations with the European
Union were on track, despite periodical ups and downs.

Graham Watson urged the government to take stronger steps in areas
of judicial reform and freedom of expression, which will undoubtedly
strengthen Ankara’s hand in negotiations with the 27-nation bloc.

Watson, and a group of parliamentarians from the Liberal Group,
met yesterday with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Parliament
Speaker Koksal Toptan and Ahmet Turk, the leader of the pro-Kurdish
Democratic Society Party, or DTP.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Toptan, Watson expressed
support for Turkey’s bid to join the EU. "We are closely following the
progress made in Turkey," he was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news
agency. Watson asked Toptan if the government would be able to live up
to its commitments in the national program, a roadmap for progress in
negotiations with the EU. In response, Toptan said Parliament passed
many reforms for alignment with the acquis and vowed the work would
continue when Parliament opens its fall session next month.

Meanwhile, Watson praised the Turkish president’s landmark visit to
neighboring Armenia early this month and suggested that the sealed
border between the two countries be reopened, the Turkish Daily
News reports.