Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris

Revue de Presse-Press Review-Berhevoka Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro de la Prensa-Baszn Özeti
29 JANUARY 2001, Copyright@Turkish Daily News
-Sw e-d-en--as-ks-~'f-tlrk-ey to
accelerate politi~al reforms
• Lindh reportedly asks Turkey to be complete the political
reforms regarding the abolishment of the death penalty,
freedom of expression, prevention of torture, and to lift ban on
broadcasting in Kurdish .
Ankara - Turkish Daily News
Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, who has been in 1?avos to take
part in the World Economic Forum, on Satur~ay me~ wIth. t~e
Europwan Union's current president Sweden s ForeIgn Miruster
Anna Lindh.
It has been reported that Lindh asked Yllmaz to accelerate political reforms if Turkey wants to start
membership negotiation without losing time.
Speaking after the meeting Yilmaz told reporters that they had discussed the relations between the EU
and Turkey with Lindh
"We dealt with what Turkey must do to accelerate its membership process. El! coun~ies ar.e awaiting the
National Program of Turkey. As I said before, Turkey has completed preparation of Its National Program.
But we will submit it after approval of the Framework Regulation Agreement which is expected to be
approved in the EU Parliament by mid-February," Yilmaz said.
Yilmaz reportedly asked Lindh to understand Turkey's position and some difficulties stemming from
coalition parties in preparation of the National Program.
Yilmaz and Lindh also exchanged of views on the Cyprus issue. Lindh previ~usly stated that the EU
should not directly interfere in Cyprus Dispute. Yilmaz reportedly thanked Lmdh because of her
statement. Turkey does not want the EU to be interested
in Cyprus issues.
Moreover, they discussed European Security and Defense Policy (ESOP) issue and Yilmaz explained
Turkey's position and its expectations from the EU. The EU has decided to create its defense system
differently from NATO, but they have excluded Turkey since it is not full member of the EU. Turkey says
it will boycott the usage of NATO forces by .the EU if it is not include.
Lindh said to reporters that they held a very good and helpful meeting with Yilmaz and added that two
of the important issues between Turkey and the EU was approval of the Framework Regulation
Agreement in the EU Parliament and submission of Turkey's National Program to the EU.
. She also cited that they mainly discussed political criteria that shoi.1ldbe carried out by Turkey if it really
wanted to be a EU member. Asked what kind of political criteria they had discussed, Lind replied,
"Abolishment of death penalty, freedom of expression, prevention of torture, and to lift ban on
broadcasting in Kurdish."
Yilmaz on Friday met with EU commissioner responsible for enlargement, Gunther Verheugen.
Verheugen stated that he was in favor of starting membership negotiations for Turkey as soon as
possible.
Meanwhile, speaking to the Anatolia news agency on Sunday, Verheugen said that he could not think of
an EU without and added that Turkey had been taking serious and determined steps on its way to EU
membership.
Turkey has completed preparation of the National Program, but it has not been publicly announced since
there is a rift between coalition parties on some political issues such as the Kurdish problem. The
National Program constitutes 29 main sections and consists of nearly 800 pages. During the preparation
of the program, all applications and procedures in other EU member countries have been scanned.
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