Belgian PM: Negotiations Will Start in 2004

Believing that Turkey’s efforts for EU membership are meeting with success, the Belgian prime minister early in the morning stopped by the office of Turkish physician Kaan Osmanagaoglu, who is the neighborhood candidate for his party. He also visited some shops along the avenue, where he was offered Turkish delight and coffee. Students at Meridian Education Center who are also studying at Ghent University greeted Verhofstadt with a bouquet of flowers and said, "Welcome to the ‘Turkish Avenue’; you have made us happy." The prime minister expressed his pleasure at the gesture.

Metin Keskin, Vedat Denizli / Ghent / BELGIUM