Dutch politician warns: "If secularity is watered down, Turkey can forget the EU"
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Ekim 02, 2007 13:04
Rene Van Der Linden, the president of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, has commented on the recent debates brewing in Turkey over whether the country is on the path towards becoming more like Maleysia in terms of its relations to secularity, noting "If secularity is watered down, and if Turkey slides towards becoming an Islamic state, EU membership would become nothing but a fantasy...."
The Dutch politician, in an interview with the daily Sabah newspaper, also commented on the recent July 22 general elections, in which the ruling AKP won an overwhelming victory, noting "I think this is part of the experience of democracy. Perhaps if we hadn't had such good experiences with this party in the Council over the past 4 years, I would have some worries. But I see no need for worries now. Of course the AKP has its own perspective on Turkey. But if it tries to take Turkey backwards, it could never again approach European institutions. I understand though the fears that exist in the hearts and minds of some Turks."