ANKARA
The Turkish parliament speaker has urged European Union to open more chapters in Turkey's accession bid into the union.
Cemil Cicek met Tuesday with Elmar Brok, the chairman of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs, in Ankara.
"Public opinion believes that Turkey is being stalled, and that the chapters 23 and 24 should be opened so that there can be a hope in negotiations," said Cemil Cicek after the meeting.
Cicek said the country's preference for the EU was a strategic one and the country had been aiming for this target for 52 years.
After signing a partnership agreement with the European Economic Community in 1963, Turkey applied for EU membership in 1987. Accession talks began in 2005.
To gain membership, Turkey must successfully conclude negotiations with the EU in 35 policy chapters, which include reforms and the adoption of European standards.
So far, 14 chapters have been opened, while 17 remain blocked and another four have yet to be discussed.
While he accepted Turkey's deficiencies in its accession process, Cicek urged the union to make its own self-criticism, recalling that certain countries had become members despite the fact that they had failed to fulfill certain criteria that Turkey had.
"Sometimes, assessments about Turkey are political ones rather than legal ones, which invalidates the supremacy of law," Cicek added.
Brok, for his part, said both sides should focus on common interests.
Turkey reiterated that it was ready to open negotiation chapters 23 and 24, on "judiciary and fundamental rights" and "justice, freedom and security" respectively.
