VANACKERE: TURKEY IS A STRATEGIC PARTNER FOR EU

In his statement at the joint press meeting held after the meeting with Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Steven Vanackere; Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator, Egemen Bagis reiterated that as regards the membership to the EU, there was no alternative such as privileged partnership in 120,000 page acquis.

In his statement made after the meeting held at the Ortakoy Office of the Secretariat General for EU Affairs, Bagis said: "Offering privileged partnership at this stage is an insult to Turkey. We cannot accept this in any way."

Bagis emphasized that there were candidate countries to the EU, negotiating ones and also the member countries; and thus, there was no other alternative for the membership to the EU.

Declaring that the only aim of Turkey's negotiations with the EU was full membership, Bagis said: "I have no doubt that Turkey will achieve this aim; and by now, I have not encountered such a doubt from our European friends."

Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Steven Vanackere stated that they regarded Turkey as a strategic partner of the EU and he confirmed that there was no concept as ‘privileged partnership' in the EU acquis.

Explaining that the negotiations with the candidate countries had started with the aim of full membership but they had also been open-ended; Vanackere said: 'The aim is membership. As the candidate country fulfils the obligations of membership, it can become a member of the EU. We also support this."

Source: AA