Brussels, 05/12/2001 (Agence Europe) - At a meeting in Brussels on Wednesday with Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, the Commissioner for enlargement, Gunter Verheugen reiterated that Turkey would be treated exactly like all the other candidate countries (which, contrary to Turkey, are already negotiating their accession) within the Convention that is to prepare the next IGC. "Mr. Verheugen stressed clearly that there will be no difference between Turkey and the other candidates, whatever the final decision taken at the Laeken Summit" on the practical arrangements for participation in the Convention, the Commission's spokesperson said. There was also the question of Cyprus (subject over which the two men simply repeated the hope that the resumption of talks between Messrs. Clerides and Denktash would lead to a solution of the problem), implementation of the Accession Partnership for Turkey, as well as the Laeken Summit, the spokesperson further indicated.
British Liberal-Democrat Andrew Duff welcomed the resumption of talks on Tuesday between the President of Cyprus Clerides and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Denktash, considering that the Council, Commission and European Parliament should "now play a much more active part" in brokering a settlement and then in guaranteeing it. According to him,, the Turkish Cypriots "should enter the last phase of the membership talks enjoying a parity of esteem with Greek Cypriot representatives", and "Chapters 30 and 31 - on institutional security matters - should be opened for negotiation by the four parties concerned, that is to say, both Cypriot sides, the EU and the UN". (See EUROPE of 28 November, p.4).
Mr. Duff, moreover, announced that he and other members of the Liberal and Green Groups in the European Parliament were to invite Rauf Denktash to the Parliament in Brussels, early next year.