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6 June 2003 - 15:03 AMT

TURKEY NOT READY TO BECOME EUROPEAN UNION MEMBER YET, EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARIANS CONSIDER

Turkey is not ready to become a member of the European Union yet. The resolution adopted yesterday by the European Parliament External Links and Human Rights Commission on the basis of Dutch parliamentarian Arie Oostlander’s report on the issue of Turkey’s entry into the EU runs. As reported by “Arminfo” agency, the document maintains the appeal to Ankara “to establish good-neighbor relations with Armenia”, withdraw its troops from the Northern Cyprus what will bring to the normal vital activity of the island. Besides, the European parliamentarians expressed anxiety concerning the presence of a big number of political prisoners, especially of Kurdish origin in Turkey and also concerning the fact that the Turkish army plays an extremely big role in the political life of the country as a result of which the process of democratization of the state system became slower.