Turkey slams EU over migrant issue
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hürriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Haziran 25, 2009 00:00
ANKARA - The reference made to Turkey in a EUdocument is not reflective of our partnership understanding, says a Foreign Ministry spokesman. 'We want to share the illegal immigration burden on our country with our European partners. This would be the right approach,' he argues.
Turkey said Wednesday that a European Union document referring to Turkey and illegal immigration was not reflective of the partnership understanding between the EU and Turkey.
"We are not a third party but a negotiating country. Our expectation from the EU is burden sharing," Foreign Ministry spokesman Burak Özügergin told reporters at a weekly press conference.
Greek efforts to secure support from the EU for its fight to curb illegal immigration was met with success after EU leaders agreed at a summit on June 18-19 that agreements must be honored. Following the summit, the released final declaration made a reference to Turkey.
"The reference made to Turkey [in the document] is not reflective of this partnership understanding," Özügergin said. "We want to share the illegal immigration burden on our country with our European partners. This would be the right approach," he added.
This issue could appear on a meeting agenda between Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and his Greek counterpart, Dora Bakoyannis, in the Greek island of Corfu over the weekend. Davutoğlu will participate in the informal meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
When asked if the Turkish foreign minister would meet with his Armenian counterpart, Edward Nalbandian, in Corfu, the spokesman did not rule out a contact but said the ministry was working on a program and only the meeting with Bakoyannis was clarified.
Various levels to normalize bilateral relations
Upon questions on Turkish-Armenian ties, Özügergin said negotiations were ongoing at various levels to normalize bilateral relations. "Negotiations [with Yerevan] are continuing on the basis of principles set by Mr. Prime Minister," he added. When asked when the roadmap with Yerevan would be made public, the spokesman said it would be disclosed when the circumstances were ripe.
When commenting on Turkey’s EU process, Özügergin said the negotiations were expected to begin on the taxation chapter at an intergovernmental conference later this month. When asked about Ankara’s expectations for the incoming Swedish presidency beginning in July, he said, "If a chapter is technically ready to open, that chapter needs to be opened." He said Turkey failed to close the chapters due to the blockade, but that has nothing to do with the process. "But will we ever stop? No, we won’t stop. The best answer to this situation would be to continue the reforms at home. That’s what we are doing," he added.
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan will make a visit to Brussels on Thursday. He is trying to revive the EU entry bid that is facing new signs of hostility from some member states, including France. Erdoğan’s visit is the second trip he has made to the EU headquarters this year.
On the topic of post-election protests in neighboring Iran, Özügergin said it is believed that Iran has the capability to find a solution to the debates by keeping open its paths to seek rights. He said that Iran is a very important country for Turkey, and said the country is also important for regional stability.
He said Turkey hoped Iran would conclude the unfolding political debates in a short period of time and that every decision made would be met with respect by Turkey.
"We are not a third party but a negotiating country. Our expectation from the EU is burden sharing," Foreign Ministry spokesman Burak Özügergin told reporters at a weekly press conference.
Greek efforts to secure support from the EU for its fight to curb illegal immigration was met with success after EU leaders agreed at a summit on June 18-19 that agreements must be honored. Following the summit, the released final declaration made a reference to Turkey.
"The reference made to Turkey [in the document] is not reflective of this partnership understanding," Özügergin said. "We want to share the illegal immigration burden on our country with our European partners. This would be the right approach," he added.
This issue could appear on a meeting agenda between Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and his Greek counterpart, Dora Bakoyannis, in the Greek island of Corfu over the weekend. Davutoğlu will participate in the informal meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
When asked if the Turkish foreign minister would meet with his Armenian counterpart, Edward Nalbandian, in Corfu, the spokesman did not rule out a contact but said the ministry was working on a program and only the meeting with Bakoyannis was clarified.
Various levels to normalize bilateral relations
Upon questions on Turkish-Armenian ties, Özügergin said negotiations were ongoing at various levels to normalize bilateral relations. "Negotiations [with Yerevan] are continuing on the basis of principles set by Mr. Prime Minister," he added. When asked when the roadmap with Yerevan would be made public, the spokesman said it would be disclosed when the circumstances were ripe.
When commenting on Turkey’s EU process, Özügergin said the negotiations were expected to begin on the taxation chapter at an intergovernmental conference later this month. When asked about Ankara’s expectations for the incoming Swedish presidency beginning in July, he said, "If a chapter is technically ready to open, that chapter needs to be opened." He said Turkey failed to close the chapters due to the blockade, but that has nothing to do with the process. "But will we ever stop? No, we won’t stop. The best answer to this situation would be to continue the reforms at home. That’s what we are doing," he added.
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan will make a visit to Brussels on Thursday. He is trying to revive the EU entry bid that is facing new signs of hostility from some member states, including France. Erdoğan’s visit is the second trip he has made to the EU headquarters this year.
On the topic of post-election protests in neighboring Iran, Özügergin said it is believed that Iran has the capability to find a solution to the debates by keeping open its paths to seek rights. He said that Iran is a very important country for Turkey, and said the country is also important for regional stability.
He said Turkey hoped Iran would conclude the unfolding political debates in a short period of time and that every decision made would be met with respect by Turkey.