Turkish Press
May 25 2005

Foreign Minister Gul Leaves For Sweden

ANKARA (AA) – Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul left for Sweden
on Monday to attend NATO Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council Security
Forum.
Speaking to reporters at the airport, Gul said that he would
chair a panel on Central Asia during the forum.
Gul stressed that foreign ministers would discuss issues
concerning NATO and enhancement of relations among countries, noting
that the cooperation between NATO and international organizations
would be discussed during meetings in Sweden.
Gul noted that Turkish State Minister Guldal Aksit and he would
attend a panel discussion on women’s rights in Swedish capital of
Stockholm on Tuesday (May 24th).
When asked whether or not the decision on holding a possible
early elections in Germany would affect Turkey’s EU membership
process, Gul said that such political developments could happen in
democratic communities any time, adding that Turkey’s EU process
would not be affected by such developments.
”Turkey has relations with countries, not with political
parties,” he indicated.
Gul underlined that if Turkey fulfilled what was required for
its accession to the union, there would not be a change in the
process.
Replying to a question on works carried out by Turkey against
countries of which parliaments adopted bills on so-called Armenian
genocide, Gul noted that such works should be carried out
fastidiously. Stating that they considered so far that the issue
should be investigated by historians, Gul noted that however Turkey
pursued a more active policy on the issue in the last few months. He
added, ”we are carrying out a series of works.”