Mr. Inan said EU officials accuse Turkey of violating human rights and failing to ensure democratic principles. We are a developing democracy and a developing economy. . . . EU officials have told Turkey they could be considered for membership by 2010, he said. Mr. Inan and other delegation members also complained that the EU is using the Cyprus issue as another reason to withhold membership. Turkey, with more than 30,000 troops in northern Cyprus, considers itself as a defender of Turkish Cypriots, not as an invader.
Turkey is the only country that recognizes the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
Tahir Kose, a member of Turkey's Democratic Left Party, said Europeans also object to Turkey's membership in the EU for cultural and religious reasons. He cited a recent public opinion poll that showed 70 percent of Europeans object to membership for Turkey, a Muslim but secular country. The delegation also included Oktay Vural of the Nationalist Movement Party, Mehmet Ali Irtemcelik of the Motherland Party, Abdullah Gul of the Virtue Party and Ayfer Yilmaz of the True Path Party. Bush pleases Cyprus The Cyprus Embassy is pleased with what it is hearing so far from the Bush administration. The embassy has pointed out statements from Secretary of State Colin Powell and Marc Grossman, the nominee for undersecretary of state for political affairs.