Govt urges EU leaders to live up their commitments to Turkey

Speaking to reporters after a Cabinet meeting yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister and government spokesman Cemil Cicek called on EU members to make consistent decisions on Turkey's prospective full membership to the 27-member bloc. “We have always stressed that Turkey would not be a burden on the Union. The EU might become an economic power without Turkey, but it cannot become a strategic power. Turkey is an opportunity for the EU," he said. Urging EU leaders to keep their promises made to Turkey, Cicek said, "We stand by our words and expect them to do the same." Cicek also said that Turkey was pushing forward with new reforms to achieve its goal of EU full membership. He said that the government would speed up efforts to finalize the Judicial Reform Strategy by the end of June in contact with members of the judiciary and jurists, adding that the Justice Ministry would have a final say on the planned strategy. Cicek also said that prior to the Parliament's summer recess, the government would try to pass a set of top priority bills regarding EU accession reforms and basic laws, and measures to reduce impacts of the ongoing global economic crisis on Turkey's economy.