CONGRATULATIONS FOR GUL CONTINUE TO FLOOD IN
Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Aug 31 2007
As the announcement of the composition of the new Turkish Cabinet on
Wednesday took over Thursday’s newspaper headlines, messages continued
to flow in to the Cankaya Presidential Palace to congratulate its
new resident, Abdullah Gul, who was elected the new president of the
Republic of Turkey on Tuesday.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice telephoned her former
counterpart Gul on Wednesday to congratulate him on his election,
expressing her hope that the United States and Turkey "continue to
have a good, positive relationship with him in his new capacity,
that she enjoyed with him when he was foreign minister," US State
Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said.
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II sent a message of congratulations to
Gul on Thursday. "I send you my congratulations on your election as
President of the Republic of Turkey. My Government and I look forward
to continuing the close cooperation and excellent relations between
our two countries. I send you and the people of Turkey my best wishes
for the future," the queen said in her message.
France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy, known with his firm stance against
Turkey’s EU bid, was among those leaders who sent a congratulatory
message to Gul, voicing hope for stronger ties between Paris and
Ankara. "We salute the election of Mr Gul, who has always shown himself
very attached to relations with France and Europe," foreign ministry
spokeswoman Pascale Andreani told reporters on Thursday.
Meanwhile, quite notably, Robert Kocharian, president of Armenia with
which Turkey has no diplomatic relations, as well as Armenia’s Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian also sent congratulatory messages to Gul,
Armenian media reported.
Another telephone call to Gul was from Jordan’s King Abdullah II.
According to a palace-issued statement, the king "expressed his trust
in Gul’s ability … to achieve the ambitions of the Turkish people"
while congratulating him.
Gul’s election as the new president of Turkey was described as "a
victory" displaying "a natural demonstration of the region’s turn
toward Islam," according to Palestinian movement Hamas’ spokesperson
Sami Abu Zuhri. "This historic change will benefit both the Turkish
people and the nations of the region, especially the Palestinian
people," Zuhri added.
Israeli President Shimon Peres called Gul and expressed his country’s
expectation that friendly bilateral relations between Israel and
Turkey would continue during Gul’s term in the presidential office.
Peres praised Gul’s efforts for contributing to regional stability
and peace.
Neighboring Iraq’s President Jalal Talabani, for his part,
expressed his expectation to see the promotion and cooperation of
the mutual relationship between Turkey and Iraq in the fields of
politics, security, economy and culture during Gul’s presidency. "I
wholeheartedly congratulate you. Your being promoted from the Cabinet
to the presidency is an indication of the trust felt toward you,"
Talabani said.
The secretary-general of the Developing-8 (D8) also congratulated Gul
on behalf of the organization, which was established by Bangladesh,
Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria and Pakistan in addition
to Turkey.
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, who worked closely with Gul when
the latter was serving as Turkey’s foreign minister, welcomed his
election and said he was "convinced" that Gul would strive to be a
"unifying force in Turkey, a country undergoing great change."
"As foreign minister he has contributed strongly to the reform process
that has characterized Turkey in recent years and which is key to the
country’s continued road towards membership in the European Union,"
Bildt said in a statement.