GUL CHARACTERIZED MERKEL AND SARKOZY’S STATEMENTS UNACCEPTABLE

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
18.05.2009 18:45 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Some European countries’ efforts towards preventing
Turkey’s accession to EU are unacceptable, Turkish President Abdullah
Gul said. Mr. Gul finds that there has been a unanimous decision by
the Europeans to start negotiations with Turkey on its accession to
European Union. According to the Turkish President, any discussion
over the issue is tantamount to violating the decisions taken by the
EU and would mean that the decision to start negotiations with Turkey
were not sincere. "It would be unacceptable," Gul said, commenting
upon German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas
Sarkozy’s recent statements against Ankara’s accession to EU.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister
Ahmet Davutoglu have also criticized Merkel and Sarkozy, calling on
the EU member states not to make Ankara’s claim for EU membership a
"domestic issue".

Gul also said Sunday that Turkey has played an important role in
Europe ever since World War II. "Turkey is a country that has made
big sacrifices to protect a free Europe during Cold War."