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Turkey, Britain agree to start environment chapter talks

23 October 2010 20:13 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Turkey and Britain Saturday signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in environment chapter in Turkey’s European Union accession talks, APA reports quoting Xinhua News Agency.

The agreement was signed by Turkey’s Chief EU Negotiator Egemen Bagis and Britain’s Minister for EU David Lidington after a joint press conference in Istanbul on the sidelines of the 7th Bogazici Conference.

Speaking at the press conference, Bagis said his talks with Lidington covered Turkish-British relations as well as Turkey’s accession talks and the memorandum of understanding on cooperation in closing the environment chapter.

"Britain is the country that would understand the best the ups and downs Turkey goes through in its accession process. Because Britain’s accession talks were not without its pains. Britain is a source of inspiration for us with its commitment to the EU integration," he added.

Lidington said that the memorandum of understanding aimed at making contributions to Turkey to fulfill the requirements of the policy chapter on environment, which he said would strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries.

He also re-iterated his government’s support for Turkey’s European Union, adding that Turkey’s democracy worked on an idea of pluralism.

As an overwhelmingly Muslim country, he said, Turkey had a successfully working democratic multi-party system, adding: " Turkey’s approach is a good example for the position of Islam in the public area. Turkey’s democracy is working on idea of pluralism. These values will be enhanced by Turkey’s EU membership. "

Turkish EU membership is a divisive issue in Europe, with leaders of key states such as Germany and France among those expressing reservations about it. But Britain, Italy and Spain have supported the mostly Muslim country’s EU bid.

Turkey began accession talks in 2005, but has made little progress, due mostly to a dispute over Cyprus -- an EU member that is divided between the ethnic Greek south and Turkish north.