But thanks to the efforts, the initiative of the United States and of the several countries from the world, from Europe, including Turkey, it ended within a few weeks.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
Turkey can be a bridge to regimes and actions the United States can't reach. Turkey can talk to people the United States can't talk to.
However, from the very beginning of the program, we made it perfectly clear that we would be out of Europe in four years; that whatever was to be accomplished had to be accomplished in that period of time.
Turkey has worked alongside its allies from the beginning.
I appreciate cooperation with Turkey on many issues. We are grateful for the support we receive for E.U. and NATO integration for Montenegro.
A journey of four hundred and thirty miles can be made in any part of the United States, but in Turkey it takes as many days.
Turning away Turkey from the EU would be a great, long-term - a century-long - error by Europe.
It took us 50 months in Germany, post World War II to go from the end of the war to a national election.
Regardless of our ambitions to become part of the E.U., we have to keep in mind that Turkey is also a very strong voice that can represent the needs of our region in wider terms in global platforms.
If Turkey wants to join Europe, it will have to become a European country, and that might take a long time.
The E.U. initially decided to end the isolation of Turkish Cyprus, to balance the accession of Cyprus. But the E.U. has not carried through on its promise.