Gul says concerns of EU over Turkey are baseless

"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.

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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."

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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."

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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."

 

Photo: Fahir Arikan