Brussels, 03/12/2004 (Agence Europe) - The President of the European Parliament, Josep Borrell, has travelled to Turkey to call for greater mutual understanding and assure Turkey of MEPs' support for its accession to the EU. 'We already know each other even though we need to get to know each other better', said Borrell. Highlighting that Turkey is at the centre of political debate in the EU, Josep Borrell told the Grand National Assembly of Turkey on Friday that 'Turkey's accession has raised suspicions in some Member States and some major religious and political personalities have loudly expressed their negative views. Some of these voices raise the question of religion… Religious beliefs cannot be a determining factor or a reason for discrimination… According to the polls, a big part of European public opinion is reticent about Turkey joining the EU, and there are many arguments used to feed these views: Turkey's size, its demographic weight, its low levels of income and rural poverty and the sizeable subsidies that would be required, different cultural and religious origins, dangerous frontiers, its geography outside Europe'. Borrell told Turkish MPs: 'I cannot tell you now what the full (European) Parliament will vote on 14 December. The large majority in the Committee vote (EP's Foreign Affairs Committee, see Europe of 2 December, p.6, Ed.) is significant but we cannot yet consider it as the definitive position of the Parliament.' He added that the EP Foreign Affairs Committee believes that before accession negotiations can be opened with Turkey, 'we agree with the Commission that the six outstanding pieces of legislation which you are working on now must be adopted, as well as the law on religious foundations. Speaker, you have given us good news on these laws this morning which I am sure the Parliament will welcome'. Concluding his speech, Borrell said that 'the very process of opening negotiations between the 25 Member States and Turkey IMPLIES recognition of Cyprus. It is not possible to negotiate with someone that you don't recognise, and if you were negotiating with the EU, you would be negotiating with Cyprus too.' Josep Borrell did not stay to hold discussions with Turkish MPs, but left the Turkish parliament building after making his speech.