Cabinet convenes

The Cabinet convened yesterday under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Speaking to reporters afterwards, Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek said the assembled Cabinet ministers had discussed such issues as the European Commission's recent progress report on Turkey, Turkey's national program for European Union membership reforms, and the fight against terrorism. Calling the new progress report more balanced than its predecessors, he added, "There are some points that we must argue with. The government will submit its objections to the EU in its national program." He added, "Two more chapters for EU negotiations can be opened ahead of the new year." Saying how the draft program was submitted to non-governmental organizations and opposition parties to get feedback, he said that only Grand Unity Party (BBP) leader Muhsin Yazicioglu had accepted their invitation to speak about its preparation and content. Rejecting charges that Turkey has slowed down its EU reforms, he added, "Thirty legal regulations were sent to Parliament, making 131 in total that Turkey has pledged to the EU as part of its negotiation process."