Italy urges an EU with Turkey

Talking to Turkish journalists at the Turkish Embassy in Italy on Monday, Bonaiuti, known as the closest aid to the prime minister, added that the EU and Turkey should immediately sit at the negotiating table. Stressing that Berlusconi and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had good relations he said that the number of positive approaches to Turkey’s EU membership among the EU increasingly accelerated, indicating that this had largely due to the sincere efforts of Turkey’s current government to implement reforms essential for Turkey’s EU membership. He added that the EU was at "a period where the winds are blown on the side of Turkey."

Drawing attention to Turkey being a big country, Bonaiuti noted that some in the EU have concerns regarding Turkey’s EU membership as economic problems and a fear of facing with a serious competition.

"Prime Minister Berlusconi is loyal to his word. He indicated earlier, in his talks with Erdogan, that he was Turkey’s lawyer in that respect. Therefore he will do everything possible for Turkey’s EU membership on the EU platforms," said Bonaiuti, noting also that Italian investors are increasingly becoming interested in Turkey He also urged the strengthening of tourism relations between the two sides as Bonaiuti had heard that the Italian tourists heading to Turkey was few.