‘Turkey not burden but advantage for EU’

Gül said Ankara had fulfilled the Copenhagen Criteria and there was no other barrier left for starting talks.
Responding to a question concerning the “special status” offers for Turkey: “We can’t accept special status. We already have special status; Turkey has a Customs Union with the EU although it is not a full member,” Anatolia quoted Gül as saying.
Gül went to Ljubljana after attending a meeting of EU foreign ministers and Mediterranean countries held in The Hague earlier in the week. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Gül have been conducting intensive diplomatic tours in EU capitals prior to the Dec. 17 Brussels EU summit where European leaders are to decide whether to open accession talks with the Turkey.

“We need support of the Slovenian government for full membership,” Gül said before meeting his Slovenian counterpart Ivo Vajgl.
The former East bloc country and new EU member Slovenia joined the union in May when it expanded to a 25 member bloc. The Brussels EU summit decision concerning Turkey’s EU bid, has to be made unanimously. Slovenia so far has given supportive messages to Turkey regarding its vote in Brussels.

Debates that have recently heated up in EU capitals are focused on Turkey’s large Muslim dominated population. Weeks ahead of the Brussels EU summit, “privileged partnership” which was initially offered by the German Christian unionists was also slightly welcomed by different groups and countries, such as the new leader of the French governing party, Nicolas Sarkozy, who said Turkey should only be an associated member and Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schluessel who sought an open ended option for Turkey’s status.
Gül said Turkey has been conducting 70 percent of its 150 billion euros in trade volume with EU members and added:
“Turkey will be not a burden for the EU, but an advantage. An EU that has Turkey as a member will gain major power.”
Ankara expects the European leaders during the Brussels EU summit to set a clear date for the start of entry talks as Gül reiterated in Ljubljana, “I expect full membership negotiations to start next year.”

Gül also met Slovenian President Janez Drnovsek and possible future Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel. Today he is due to depart for Ankara after his meeting with the speaker of the Slovenian National Assembly France Cukjati.