Brussels, 04/07/2001 (Agence Europe) - EU Council President Louis Michel held a meeting on 2 and 3 July in Ankara with the Turkish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ismail Cem, and was received by Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and President Ahmet Sezer. A press release points out that Mr Michel stressed, on this occasion, the EU's attachment for respect by Turkey of the political criteria of Copenhagen. He hoped that the national Turkish programme for adoption of acquis communautaire would be rapidly translated into concrete measures, mainly human rights. On the subject of Cyprus, he urged Ankara to use all its influence to "bring the Turk Cypriot part to the negotiating table under the aegis of the UN". Finally, on the subject of ESDP, Mr Michel expressed his support for efforts made by the British diplomacy for convincing Turkish authorities not to oppose the conclusion of an agreement on making NATO assets available for EU peace-keeping operations.
The BELGA Agency points out, from Ankara, that Mr Michel is expected to meet the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Thursday, in Berlin.