EU shouldn’t look for excuses to isolate Turkey

ANKARA (AA) – Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said on Friday that Europe should not look for excuses to isolate Turkey, adding that EU should also know that implementing the reforms would take time.

Cicek said about the news published in Turkish press about the European Commission’s Progress Report on Turkey.

Noting that legal arrangements were the easiest part of the task, Cicek said that "the most difficult part is to put the reforms into practice. Because this is related to mentality change. This is not only valid for Turkey, but also for EU member states. You can’t find one country where human rights problems don’t exist. There can only be differences among countries in practice."

Cicek said that Europeans should particularly look if the government in Turkey was resolved about the EU, adding that "Turkey is resolved about EU and it took very important steps. It is not correct to make an assessment by ignoring this fact. Turkey is more advanced than majority of the ten other candidate states at the moment. If the only aim of them is to find an excuse to us, this is not correct," said Cicek.

Underlining that the government undertook the reforms by taking into consideration the benefits of Turkey, Cicek said that "EU issue is our target and in one respect, it is the longing of the Turkish people since the administrative reforms taken by the Ottoman Empire. But, we undertake the reforms as this is to the benefit of Turkey. What will happen if EU does not give a negotiation date to us in December, 2004? This is directly concerned with the sincerity of the EU. While the EU makes requests from us on the one hand, it should not look for excuses on the other hand. It should not have a discriminating attitude against Turkey. In fact, the EU will also have a test in respect of the values it has been defending. Turkey will not be a burden on EU, on the contrary, it will contribute to EU. We also know our deficiencies and we launch efforts to overcome them. But our deficiencies should not be turned into an excuse for not giving a negotiation date to Turkey. Elections will be held in certain European countries soon. I hope nobody attempts to use Turkey as an internal policy tool due to elections."

Cicek said that admission of Turkey to the EU would be to the interest of both sides, adding that "but if they resist not to admit us, this is not the end of the world. We undertake the reforms as they are to the interest of our country."

Cicek said that a negative response to be given to Turkey would also harm the convincing character of the EU, adding that NATO ally Turkey had made sacrifices for Europe against Warsaw Pact countries during the Cold War period. "Today, while Europe embraces members of Warsaw Pact one by one, it attempts to isolate Turkey on the other hand, then their sincerity will be overshadowed. EU should not display a hypocritical attitude."