Turkey set to leave no ‘grey area’ in fulfilling EU criteria

Conducive to this end, efforts in the first six months of 2004 will speed up to fully meet the union’s political standards and convince the EU governments and public that Turkey has passed the "threshold" to get the go-ahead for accession talks.

Turkish ambassadors in 15 EU capitals, plus the United States, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the United Nations, have been and will be holding consultations in Ankara with the president, prime minister and president on Turkey’s EU strategy for the next six months.

Ambassadors met Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal, President Ahmet Necdet Sezer on Thursday. On Friday, they held a lengthy meeting under the chairmanship of Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and later met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to tell the leaders about the impression in the capitals they are posted to.

EU leaders will review Turkey’s performance to fulfill membership criteria in a summit in Dec. 2004 with a view to open accession talks without delay and the EU Commission will reveal its critical report on Turkey’s efforts in autumn.

Turkey is determined not to leave any element of chance in this critical junction.
Areas of priority

EU leaders set out a series of issues where more efforts are seen necessary at the end of their recent summit in Brussels and Turkish efforts will concentrate on these "areas of priority," diplomatic sources attending ambassadors’ meetings said Friday.

A final statement issued after the Brussels summit highlighted deficiencies regarding independence of the judiciary; freedom of association and expression; military-civilian relations as well as the situation in southeast Anatolia and cultural rights.

"The period until June 2004 is highly important for the fulfillment of these expectations on the part of the EU. After June, chances to influence what is going to be in the Commission’s report will be insignificant. It is important that a conviction is created in the EU that Turkey has met the political criteria," sources said.

"No blank or gray area that could constitute an obstacle for the beginning of accession talks will be left," sources added.