(11 Dec 2002)
1. U.S. President Bush and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chairman of Turkey's Justice and Development Party
2. Cutaway of U.S. National Security Adviser, Condoleezza Rice
3. SOUNDBITE: (English) George W. Bush, US President:
"We join you side by side in your desire to become a member of the European Union. We appreciate your friendship in NATO. You are a strategic ally and friend of the United States and we look forward to working with you to keep the peace."
4. Cutaway of US Secretary of State, Colin Powell
5. SOUNDBITE: (Turkish, English translation) Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chairman of Turkey's Justice and Development Party:
"Undoubtedly we see our bid for European Union membership as the most important modernisation project of our country since the establishment of the Republic. And this will serve as a great jumpstart, an enhancement for democracy. This week is a very important one for us."
6. Close-up of U.S. Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz
7. Two shot of Bush and Erdogan
8. Erdogan arrives for press conference
9. Cutaway
10. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chairman of Turkey's Justice and Development Party:
"I do not think it is right to make a direct connection between the Cyprus issue and the European Union. The Cyprus issue has been presented to us over and over again. And to become a European Union member, if you fulfill the Copenhagen criteria, you will have the chance to become a E-U member or start negotiations. And those European friends who said this, unfortunately even though it is not included in the Copenhagen criteria, the Cyprus issue has been presented to us over and over again. They are literally using this to their advantage, I do not find this appropriate, we do not find this to be sincere."
11. Cutaway
12. SOUNDBITE (Turkish) Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chairman of Turkey's Justice and Development Party:
"We know that there is a Cyprus problem, and we are determined to resolve it. From the beginning we said that we consider the U-N plan to be negotiable, and we say negotiate this plan. While we are negotiating, let us make an effort, but let the other side make an effort as well. If only a one-sided effort is asked for, this would not be fair, this would not be permanent. But, if we look at this with mutual effort, I believe we can easily resolve this issue."
13. Wide shot of room with American and Turkish flags.
14. Wide shot of Erdogan
STORYLINE:
United States President George W. Bush pledged on Tuesday to help Turkey join the European Union, leaving unspoken his desire to gain access to Turkish military bases for a possible war against Iraq.
In a meeting with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, leader of Turkey's new ruling political party, Bush said he would stand "side by side" with Turkey as it seeks EU status.
Afterwards, Bush told reporters that his administration was working hard on Turkey's behalf.
In a sign of the administration's intensive courting of Turkey's cooperation in any war against Iraq, Bush joined a scheduled meeting between Erdogan and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice.
Use of Turkish military bases just north of Iraq could prove vital if Bush wages war against Saddam Hussein.
Turkey, in turn, badly needs Bush's backing in advance of the EU summit this week to discuss expansion.
The Copenhagen summit is expected to approve the accession of 10 new members, including Cyprus, and to grant Turkey a date for the opening of its own negotiations for membership.
Erdogan is to meet with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on Wednesday.
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