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ANKARA: Gul - Rehn Joint News Conference

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  • ANKARA: Gul - Rehn Joint News Conference

    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.
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