Republic of Turkey
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer
The European Union (EU) named the Republic of Turkey a candidate country for the Union’s enlargement in 1999, but a date for initiation of formal accession negotiations between EU and Turkish officials has not been set. Ahmet Necdet Sezer was named president by the Turkish National Assembly on May 5, 2000. For the prior 12 years, he served on the Constitutional Court and was elected its chief judge in 1998. The following is excerpted from a July 23, 2001, speech by President Sezer at an Economic Development Foundation Meeting in Istanbul, Turkey.With the Helsinki European Council, relations between Turkey and…
