Erdogan confident on EU’s Turkey decision

Erdogan was addressing a meeting yesterday organized by the Turkish-English Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Britain where he was due to deliver a speech at the Oxford University.

"However, it is not a must for Turkey to join the EU. If we are rejected, then we will turn the range of reforms we have undertaken into Ankara criteria and will proceed in our own way. It is that easy," Erdogan went on to say.

Turkey has passed a series of democratic reforms to comply with the criteria, known as the Copenhagen criteria, which is required in order to join the EU. Having done much of its preparatory work, Turkey strongly expects to get the go-ahead in a December EU summit to start membership talks with the EU bloc.

Erdogan said that when compared to the 10 new members of the EU, Turkey has been more in harmony with the EU Acquis, adding that it was unfair to keep Turkey at the door of the EU for more than 40 years.

Erdogan was also to address Oxford University students as well as to convene with British business circles and hold talks with British Justice Minister Lord Falconer and head of British Petroleum Lord Brown.

Prior to his Oxford speech, Britain’s prominent daily newspaper The Times called on the EU to admit Turkey into the club. Acknowledging that the main reason for opposing Turkey’s membership was Turkey’s huge population, the daily said: "Some circles fear that admitting Turkey will cause Europe to become a place where the Muslim population will speedily increase. … However, if Turkey is rejected, an unstable, radicalized and isolated population of 70 million people will be at the EU’s doors."

‘Serving as a model strengthens, not weakens, us’
Replying to a question, prior to his departure for Britain, concerning next month’s G-8 summit, Erdogan said: "We have been invited to this summit as a country with a specialty. I hope positive decisions for the future of the Middle East will be made at the summit."

The United States said it had invited Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to attend next month’s G-8 summit to discuss Washington’s Greater Middle East Initiative for regional reform and to reach out for support from some Arab countries.

Turkey apparently assumes a "pivotal role" in the U.S. initiative, representing a model case with its Muslim population and functioning democracy.

Asked about claims of a disagreement between the government and the military concerning the Greater Middle East project, Erdogan noted that Turkey would serve as an example, adding, "Being a model country does not weaken us, it strengthens us."

The prime minister will meet today with Turkish citizens living in Britain and also hold talks with administrators of the Royal Academy of the Arts before his return to Turkey.