Turkey Disappointed by EU Report
U.S. Calls on Europeans to move swiftly on Turkey's membership
TUSIAD, Washington D.C. Office, www.tusiad-us.org - The long waited EU progress report on Turkey was released on Wednesday. The report said "Turkey has made noticeable progress towards meeting the Copenhagen political criteria since the Commission issued its report in 1998, and in particular in the course of the last year." Nonetheless, the report indicated that Turkey did not fully meet the political criteria, citing limitations in human rights, economic stability and the implementation of the reforms in full harmonization with the EU legislation. The European Union Commission on Wednesday remained silent about when Turkey could start entry talks with the EU, but recommended 10 other candidate countries be invited to join in 2004.

Turkish leaders expressed disillusionment over the report and said Turkey deserved to join the European Union. "We believe that Turkey has earned the right to start accession negotiations in 2003," the Foreign Ministry said in a written statement. "Our parliament has enacted a reform legislation of a revolutionary nature," the statement pointed out. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer called the report "far from satisfactory," "Our hope is that EU countries make a decision ... taking into consideration the powerful political will that Turkey has put forward," he argued. Deputy Prime Minister, responsible for EU affairs, Mesut Yilmaz, indicated that the report was a technical one and therefore its recommendations were no big surprise. He said Turkey remained determined to achieve European Union membership, and the country was still hoping to get a date for accession negotiations at the EU Copenhagen Summit in December.

The United States has also urged the EU to be more welcoming to Turkey. Asserting that Turkey's future is in Europe, the U.S. State Department on Wednesday urged the EU to take steps toward membership for Turkey as soon as possible. Spokesman Richard Boucher said the Bush Administration "will continue to be in touch" with the European Union on this view until there is a final decision at December summit in Copenhagen. U.S. Special Envoy to Cyprus Tom Weston said that the EU should fully acknowledge the radical reforms Turkey introduced in August 2002, abolishing the death penalty, and granting education and broadcasting rights in Kurdish. At the same time, Boucher welcomed a declaration by the EU Commission inviting eight east European nations, Cyprus and Malta to join the European Union in 2004.

Moreover, Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou said Greece remained a strong supporter of Turkey's EU entry efforts. "Turkey has taken many important steps but still has some significant shortcomings."

Following the release of the EU report, Tuncay Ozilhan, Chairman of the Board of TUSIAD, said Turkey should exert all means to fulfill the political and legislative requirements and have them fully implemented until December's Copenhagen Summit. He also urged the leaders of the political parties to visit Brussels and present their views on Turkey's EU membership bid.

(Turkish Daily News-AP news-NTVMSNBC-Cumhuriyet-Financial Times-Reuters-Hurriyet)
You can find the EU Progress Report on Turkey at: /europa.eu.int

Israel & Turkey Sign Water Accord
ANKARA [MENL]-After five years of negotiations, Israel has concluded an agreement to buy water from Turkey.

Turkish officials said that under the agreement concluded last week,Israel will purchase annually 50 million cubic meters of water for the next 20 years.

The water will come from Turkey's Manavgat River. The tributary empties into the Mediterranean Sea.

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Yusuf Buluc said the agreement has not been signed. Buluc said the two countries have not yet agreed on the price of the water and means of transportation.

The accord calls for the establishment of a technical committee to resolve these issues. The panel met last week and was briefed by envoys of shipping companies of the feasibility of using vessels to transport the water across the Mediterranean.

"After the presentations, in the bilateral meetings both sides agreed that Israel will purchase 50 million cubic meters per year for a period of 20 years, and the Turkish side again approved its commitment," Buluc said.

The ministry spokesman said the technical committee will meet in Israel in November.

House Passes Bill Expanding Trade Benefits for Turkey
TUSIAD, Washington D.C. Office, www.tusiad-us.org - The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a legislation that would expand trade benefits for certain imports from Turkey. The bill, passed by a voice vote October 7, consists mostly of more than 300 uncontroversial provisions for tariff suspensions on imports of goods not produced domestically and traded in small volume. For a bill to become law, a final passage by both the full House and Senate and signature by the President are required.

A Senate Finance Committee aide predicted Tuesday that the full Senate would pass its own version of a miscellaneous tariffs bill.

The committee never acted on a bill drafted by committee staff, however, with Congress' session approaching adjournment, senators are likely to accept that draft, he said.

The House-passed bill's Turkey provision would amend the 1985 law implementing the U.S.-Israel Free Trade Agreement to allow creation of "qualified industrial zones" (QIZ) where certain goods produced jointly by Turkish and Israeli manufacturers could enter the U.S. market duty free. The Office of the U.S.

Trade Representative (USTR) would have to approve duty elimination for any such imports after considering the impact on U.S. producers. An official said the Administration has already advised Turkey that no benefits would apply to textiles.
(Washington File)