THEOCRATIC COUNTRIES CANNOT BECOME EU MEMBER-STATES, OLLI REHN SAYS

YERKIR
26.07.2007 18:26

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – European Union Commissioner Franco Frattini has
made a statement in regards to recent general elections in Turkey,
commenting that "the rights of the secular minority of Turkey must be
protected." In his part Olli Rehn, the EU Commissioner for Expansion,
noted, "theocratic countries cannot become EU member-states."

At the same time European Parliament MP Frank Venhecke from Belgium
submitted a series of questions regarding Turkey’s future to the EU
Presidency for answers.

Franco Frattini also said the possibility that Turkey could turn
from a secular state into a theocratic nation would be a "situation
difficult to accept", Huriyett reports.

During the July 22 early parliamentarian elections in Turkey Justice
and Development Party (AKP) won the majority of votes at the head of
Prime Minister Recep Erdogan.