PM Erdogan Urges EU To Be Fair Against Turkey In Accession Talks
ANKARA - Turkey`s PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan asked the EU to be fair against Turkey in accession talks, during a fast breaking dinner hosted Tuesday in Ankara in honour of foreign ambassadors and heads of foreign missions in Turkey.
Addressing foreign ambassadors attending the dinner, Erdogan complained about the prolonged process between opening and closing of chapters in membership negotiators with the EU.
Referring to the beginning of negotiations with EU and the screening process under 35 chapter headings in 2005, Erdogan said, "however, the number of chapter headings were fewer before. But before we even entered this process, opening and closing of chapters was not even an issue. Chapters were opened and closed. But now we are struggling for this."
Criticizing the EU for complicating the screening process for Turkey, PM Erdogan said this was not a fair approach.
Erdogan said Turkey expected the EU to adopt the same approach it did with other candidates, stressing that they were not asking for privileges.
"We say: we want you to give us the same rights you granted to others(candidates) before us. If you are seeing us as a burden --then that`s a different story--, then say so. But you should know that Turkey is coming to relieve you off your burden, not to be a cause of burden. You should view Turkey like this," said Erdogan.
Erdogan who said negotiations were going on with EU in 7 chapters, expressed his expectancy from the French EU presidency to open two new chapters to negotiations.
"However, we see that the EU is not as fast as Turkey in regards with negotiation chapters," said Erdogan. He said the EU made a habit of opening only two chapters at a time, thus slowing down the process.
Erdogan said despite Turkey`s determined attitude in its EU bid, the EU continued to issue dismaying statements and display demoralising attitudes.
He said nevertheless Turkey announced its own programme to harmonize with EU acquis and continued to implement reforms as scheduled.
(OZG-AY)
(DIP)
