(19 Dec 1997) English/Nat
Turkish premier Mesut Yilmaz has accused the European Union of discrimination during a visit to the United States.
In a speech at the U-S Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, Yilmaz said an application for E-U membership would be withdrawn unless the E-U reversed its decision to exclude Turkey from its new expansion plans.
Yilmaz later held talks with U-S Defence Secretary Bill Cohen and the International Monetary Fund managing director Michel Camdessus who offered his support for Turkey to overcome its current economic difficulties.
Turkish premier Mesut Yilmaz accused the European Union of discrimination against his country during a speech to the U-S Chamber of Commerce in Washington on Thursday.
Recently rebuffed in its bid to join the E-U, analysts say Turkey is turning to its longtime Western ally for a boost on the foreign front.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"If you compare Turkey with all eleven countries in terms of free market economy, we are much more advanced than all of them. Therefore, we are of the opinion that we have been discriminated. That a clear discrimination has been made towards Turkey. That should be reviewed and that should be revised by the European Union."
SUPER CAPTION: Mesut Yilmaz, Turkish Prime Minister
The E-U is concerned about human rights violations, Turkish troops on Cyprus and Ankara's tense relations with Athens.
Yilmaz repeated an earlier threat - to withdraw Turkey's application to join the Union.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"We may withdraw our application for the full membership, which we have made ten years ago, in 1987. And we are very, very serious on this. They are not obliged to accept turkey as a full member country, but they have no right to discriminate my country."
SUPER CAPTION: Mesut Yilmaz, Turkish Prime Minister
Later on Thursday, Yilmaz held talks with U-S Defence Secretary Bill Cohen.
He went on to meet International Monetary Fund managing director Michel Camdessus.
Camdessus said I-M-F experts would try to help Turkey overcome its current economic difficulties.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"We put our experience of these problems at the disposal of your country. We will continue working and very soon a group of experts at the I-M-F will meet again in Ankara to discuss... to have a proper analysis of this situation and be able to propose to the government the best way of addressing that."
SUPER CAPTION: Michel Camdessus, I-M-F Managing Director
Yilmaz also sought to bolster ties with the U-S by announcing plans to buy 2.5 (b) billion dollars worth of Boeing planes.
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