Prime Minister Lipponen: Turkey not ready for EU membership talks

Another big question concerns what kinds of prospects Turkey should be given for the start of membership talks. According to Lipponen, the preconditions for giving a date for talks do not exist "at this stage" because Turkey does not meet the Copenhagen criteria.
On the other hand, Lipponen feels that Turkey should be given the message that it will eventually be able to negotiate on EU membership.
"Then the question will be whether or not we should give some kind of a target schedule within which we would be ready to start discussions, if these preconditions are met by then", Lipponen said.
The United States has put pressure on the EU to give Turkey a promise on starting talks. The issue was discussed during a recent meeting with President George W. Bush in Washington. Lipponen says that he clarified EU points of view in the discussions.
"These are big questions. We talk about social and economic merits, and democracy. We cannot take it lightly that a country seeks membership, and we cannot make exceptions", Lipponen emphasised.
"Perhaps for the Americans the issue is one of politics, and of security policy. From the European point of view the question is one of taking and integrating a large nation into the EU", Lipponen said.
He emphasised that the new Turkish Government has given very positive indications that it wants to continue its policy of reforms. Lipponen also says that he believes that Turkey will eventually become a member of the European Union.
On the Cyprus question Lipponen said that the negotiations on uniting the Greek and Turkish halves of the island can continue no longer than about two months into next year, if Cyprus wants to join the EU as a united country. Under a plan drafted by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, a referendum on unification would be held on the island on March 30.

Lipponen said that he does not expect the question of the eventual location of the European Food Authority to come up at the summit.
The Danish hosts have prepared for lengthy and tough discussions by reserving the site of the meeting for the whole weekend.
Lipponen is also prepared to stay in Copenhagen past the Friday evening deadline, if necessary.

Lipponen has also expressed concern about what he sees as a widespread perception in Europe that the United States is acting in an excessively unilateral manner in the Iraq crisis.
At a press conference held in Parliament on Wednesday Lipponen said that during their meeting in Washington, President Bush had emphasised that the US is working together with other UN countries to find a solution to the Iraq crisis, and that the Americans are serious.
"I understood this as a challenge, meaning that other countries have to be involved seriously", Lipponen said.
"The President went to Congress for support, and then to the UN Security Council to make a common decision on how to deal with Iraq", Lipponen said, adding that the deep significance of the procedure has not been completely understood in Europe.
Lipponen said that it became clear in the discussions that future action would be decided at the UN Security Council.

Lipponen also said that the US attitude toward the International Criminal Court has also brought unnecessarily emotional reactions on both sides of the Atlantic.
"The President took up the differences on the International Criminal Court between the United States and the member states of the European Union. I noted that it may be that the EU has taken too tough a line on this, but so has the United States. Both sides should reflect on this issue", Lipponen said.
The United States has refused to recognise the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, because it fears that its peacekeeping soldiers and diplomats might face charges of war crimes before the court.
The EU Foreign Ministers have taken the view that US soldiers or diplomats suspected of such a crime can be granted a waiver of jurisdiction only if they would then face trial at home.