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TURKEY: TOP EUROPEAN COUNCIL OFFICIAL VISITS
AKI, Italy
Oct 26 2006
Istanbul, 26 Oct. (AKI) - Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly
President Rene van der Linden on Thursday met with top Turkish
officials, including Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, for discussions
focusing on human rights and dialogue between civilisations. Van der
Linden was also scheduled to meet with Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan but the meeting was cancelled since Erdogan is on a
prolonged vacation following his fainting at a public gathering last
week. The fainting incident was attributed to a drop in Erdongan's
blood sugar level caused by his fasting for the Muslim holy month
of Ramadan.
On his arrival in Turkey on Wednesday, Van der Linden who supports
Turkey's bid for membership of the European Union, criticised the
French lower house of parliament's passing of a bill that makes it
an offense to deny that the massacre of Armenians under Ottoman rule
amounted to genocide.
Van der Linden criticised suggestions in France and elsewhere that
Turkey should officially recognise that the Armenian genocide took
place as part of the conditions it has to comply with in order to
enter the EU.
"It is inappropriate trying to set new criteria for Turkey's
membership. You cannot change the rules of the game after you start
playing," he said.
Ahead of a progress report on Turkey's bid due to be presented on
8 November, EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, said in an
interview with the Italian daily Corriera Dela Sera he was concerned
that the EU-championed reform process in Turkey was slowing down.
Turkish enthusiasm for EU membership also appears to have cooled
according to a survey released Thursday indicating that only 32
percent of Turks think that 'Turkey must enter EU', compared to 57
percent who thought so last year. The survey was conducted by A&G
research company with a sample of 2,408 people being interviewed.
AKI, Italy
Oct 26 2006
Istanbul, 26 Oct. (AKI) - Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly
President Rene van der Linden on Thursday met with top Turkish
officials, including Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, for discussions
focusing on human rights and dialogue between civilisations. Van der
Linden was also scheduled to meet with Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan but the meeting was cancelled since Erdogan is on a
prolonged vacation following his fainting at a public gathering last
week. The fainting incident was attributed to a drop in Erdongan's
blood sugar level caused by his fasting for the Muslim holy month
of Ramadan.
On his arrival in Turkey on Wednesday, Van der Linden who supports
Turkey's bid for membership of the European Union, criticised the
French lower house of parliament's passing of a bill that makes it
an offense to deny that the massacre of Armenians under Ottoman rule
amounted to genocide.
Van der Linden criticised suggestions in France and elsewhere that
Turkey should officially recognise that the Armenian genocide took
place as part of the conditions it has to comply with in order to
enter the EU.
"It is inappropriate trying to set new criteria for Turkey's
membership. You cannot change the rules of the game after you start
playing," he said.
Ahead of a progress report on Turkey's bid due to be presented on
8 November, EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, said in an
interview with the Italian daily Corriera Dela Sera he was concerned
that the EU-championed reform process in Turkey was slowing down.
Turkish enthusiasm for EU membership also appears to have cooled
according to a survey released Thursday indicating that only 32
percent of Turks think that 'Turkey must enter EU', compared to 57
percent who thought so last year. The survey was conducted by A&G
research company with a sample of 2,408 people being interviewed.