Turkey’s Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit expressed confidence Wednesday that his three-way coalition would overcome a rift over reforms required under Turkey's bid to join the European Union (EU), as an unprecedented platform of 175 civic groups issued a joint appeal in support of the reforms.
"The European Union is not a dream for Turkey. It is an objective that should be definitively accomplished," the ailing Ecevit said in a written statement from his sickbed, a day after his far-right coalition partner reiterated its opposition to key EU-sought reforms.
"I am confident there will be no problem within the government on this issue," he said in the statement carried by the Anatolia news agency.
Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer has called a summit between government and opposition leaders on Friday in the wake of growing concerns that Turkey, the laggard amongst the 13 EU hopefuls, would fail to get a date for the start of accession talks by year-end. (albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
