ERDOGAN RECEIVES PES MEMBERS
Turkish Press
Oct 23 2006
ANKARA – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan received higher
consultative group of the Party of European Socialists (PES) in Ankara
on Monday.
The meeting between Erdogan and the PES group co-chairmen –Finnish
Parliament Speaker Paavo Lipponen and Greek main opposition PASOK
leader George Papandreou– lasted for more than one hour in the Prime
Ministry building.
After the meeting, Papandreou told reporters that they had a positive
meeting with Erdogan, stating that they discussed freedom of thought,
religious minorities and Cyprus issue in the meeting.
Sources said that Lipponen criticized the French bill (aims to
criminalize denial of so-called Armenian genocide) in the meeting,
noting that he did not approve the bill. Lipponen stressed that
they would work for Turkish-EU relations not to be affected by the
mentioned bill whether or not French parliament enacted it.
On the other hand, PES group headed by Lipponen attended a dinner
hosted by Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul.
The PES delegation is expected to leave Turkey tomorrow.