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   ISTANBUL, Turkey: Turkey's prime minister said Thursday that his country had implemented economic reforms in line with requirements for entry into the European Union, but he steered clear of any mention of a major obstacle to EU accession: what to do about Cyprus."Turkey, in line with our accession to the EU, has carried out important reforms, and the positive impact of these reforms is already being felt in the country," Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at an international forum.

Erdogan said Turkey's economy had overcome long-running problems, including unstable growth, high inflation and currency fluctuations, to become one of the 20 largest economies in the world and a far more attractive place for foreign investors.Reforms have enabled foreign businesses to quickly set up operations in Turkey, he said.Foreign direct investment, or FDI, in Turkey last year was US$9.7 billion ( 7.48 billion), and FDI in the first nine months of this year was US$12.8 billion ( 9.87 billion), the prime minister said.

Turkey is the fifth largest trading partner of the European Union, he said."This goes to show how fast Turkey is moving forward," said Erdogan, who addressed delegates at a meeting organized by the World Economic Forum, a foundation based in Switzerland.But he refrained from discussing the dispute over divided Cyprus, which threatens to derail Turkey's campaign to join the EU.

Turkey refuses to open its ports or airports to Cyprus, an EU member, demanding that an international embargo imposed on Turkish Cypriots in the north of the island be lifted first.Turkey has 40,000 troops in the north, and props up a government there that is not recognized by any other country.EU government leaders are to hold a Dec.

14-15 summit to assess whether membership talks should continue, a conclusion to be based in part on a recommendation from the European Commission, the EU's executive office, expected in early December..

Main keywords: European Union, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, World Economic Forum, European Commission, Economic Reforms, Turkish Cypriots, Economic Forum, World Economic, Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey Turkey, Recep Tayyip

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