U.S. Department of State 95/12/13 Daily Press Briefing

From: [email protected] (Dimitrios Hristu)

U.S. State Department Directory

Subject: U.S. Department of State 95/12/13 Daily Press Briefing

Office of the Spokesman

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TURKEY

Accession to European Customs Union ...................8

PM Ciller Remarks re Change of U.S. Position ..........8

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BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

Sarajevo Bosnian Serbs "Referendum" for Separation ....15

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Q Do you have anything on Turkey becoming a member of the European Customs Union?

MR. DAVIES: Actually, I did something wrong. I should have gone over here to the young lady I recognized. Then I'll come back to you.

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Q Do you have anything on Turkey's accession to European Customs Union?

MR. DAVIES: We welcome that, obviously. We think that's a good development. In fact, we can go further and congratulate the European Parliament, the Government and the people of Turkey on what really is an historic achievement. We've supported this for a long time, so we're happy that it's happened.

We think that the Customs Union accession by Turkey will strengthen its economy and also those of the European Union member states, and ultimately in the long run we also think it will redound to our benefit in improved opportunities for Turkish-American trade and investment.

Q The Turkish Prime Minister -- in an interview she gave to a Turkish daily -- said that the United States was initially against, until last December, but then on behalf of her own efforts, the United States changed its status on this.

MR. DAVIES: I don't know the history of United States policy on that particular issue. Certainly since I've been aware of the issue, we've always supported Turkey's accession. It's been on the docket every time we've met with our European partners on the Customs Union matters, and we've made plain to the Turkish Government that we've supported it.

As to what the history of our policy is, that's history. The point is that we're very happy about this, and we supported it.

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Q There was a disturbing referendum in Sarajevo where 91 percent of the Serbs in the Serbian neighborhood -- 91 percent voted and 99 percent of the vote in this referendum was, we want to be separate; we want to be separate and distinct as we have been.

Does this not point out the continued lack of understanding and perhaps reality of the Serbians in the Sarajevo area on the Dayton agreement, and how is this being addressed?

MR. DAVIES: Ambassador Holbrooke, I think, spoke to that issue today, the question of the referendum. The referendum has no standing.

What has got standing today is the Dayton agreement -- the Dayton accords -- which will be signed in Paris tomorrow, which really is one big confidence-building measure, both the general framework agreement and all the 11 annexes to that accord. They're meant -- all aspect of it -- to reassure all the peoples in Bosnia that the IFOR mission, when it goes in, is there to help them change their habits, from habits of war to habits of peace. That goes for the Bosnian Serb residents of Ilidza and the other suburbs of Sarajevo. It goes for all persons in areas that will be affected by the Dayton accord.

That particular referendum doesn't give us any great concern. It has no standing. We're moving ahead with the signing and with the implementation of the Dayton accords.

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(Press briefing concluded at 2:10 p.m.)

END