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ANKARA: Gul says concerns of EU over Turkey are baseless

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  • ANKARA: Gul says concerns of EU over Turkey are baseless

    Hürriyet, Turkey
    May 17 2008


    Gul says concerns of EU over Turkey are baseless


    Concerns that the EU cake would be lessened after Turkey's membership
    were baseless, "on the contrary, the cake will get bigger," Turkish
    President Abdullah Gul said on Saturday, Anatolian Agency reported.


    "We are aware that there are some concerns about Turkey in EU
    countries. Turkey has to carry out works convince European public
    opinion. We have lots to do. We will not come before finishing our
    homework," Gul is quoted as saying in an interview with daily Kronen
    published in Vienna.



    Referring to decision made in 2005 to launch negotiations between
    Turkey and the EU, Gul said Austria also approved this
    decision. "There is no need for the Austrians to feel concern over
    Turkey's EU membership as a referendum would be held in the end," he
    added.



    Gul said views that reform process slowed down were "partially right",
    indicating that, "Turkey had two elections last year. The government
    was engaged with the elections. However a new period started in
    2008. As the president, I am closely following the reform process."



    When Kronen newspaper journalist Kurt Seinitz said Turkish Prime
    Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan described assimilation a crime against
    humanity and this led to discussions in Austria, Gul said, "such kind
    of expressions can be interpreted differently in different
    languages. The communities should integrate in the best way with the
    societies they have been living in and should share, strengthen and
    defend their common values."



    Gul responding to a question about Armenian claims said, these claims
    were not a "taboo" in Turkey, adding that, "we are sorry over what had
    occurred in the past. However, this is not a genocide which the Jews
    had to experience in Europe. The incidents erupted after revolt of
    Armenians with the affect of some foreign forces. But one thing is
    important, all the churches were open even during the incidents and
    the Armenians, who were in important posts in the Ottoman
    administration, continued to work."



    Armenia, with the backing of the diaspora, claims up to 1.5 million of
    their kin were slaughtered in orchestrated killings in 1915. However
    300,000 Armenians along with at least as many Turks died in civil
    strife that emerged when the Armenians took up arms for independence
    in eastern Anatolia.



    Referring to Turkey's call to all related parties to open their
    archives, Gul said, "Turkey assumed a pioneering role here and
    accepted to open its secret military archives."
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