EUROPEAN COMMISSION CHIEF DEMANDS SOLUTION TO KURDISH PROBLEM

During their Turkey visit, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn met with Turkish Minister Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Mr Barroso also delivered an address at the Turkish parliament. “On almost all of the major topics which have been dominating international relations for years, such as the Balkans, the Middle East crisis, Iran, Iraq, the energy crisis or the overall dialogue with the Muslim world, Turkey plays an important role as an example of stability and democracy in one of the most unstable regions of the world. Turkey demonstrates that a secular democratic republic, with a predominantly Muslim population, well integrated in Europe, offers a powerful alternative to fundamentalist temptations throughout the world, as well as a major asset in promoting dialogue between civilisations and religions,” he said. “Turkey has carried out impressive changes already. For instance: abolition of the death penalty; reinforcing democratic primacy in civil-military relations; abolition of State Security Courts; broadcasting and education in other languages than Turkish; supremacy of international human rights conventions over domestic law; zero tolerance policy on torture and ill-treatment; strengthening of gender equality in the constitution and the civil code. More recently, the Turkish Parliament adopted the long-awaited law on foundations which is a welcome step forward to address the difficulties of non-Muslim religious communities. However, more progress is needed on a number of key issues, such as freedom of expression, democratic primacy in civil-military relations, cultural rights, trade union rights, women's and children's rights. They are part of our common values, they are central to progress and modernity and, indeed, they are also the keys to accession.” Touching on the Kurdish problem, Mr Barroso said that the EU supports Turkey in its struggle against the PKK rebels. “However, we insist on political solution to the problem,” he said. Mr Barroso and Mr Rehn also met with representatives of opposition parties, Kurdistan.ru reports.

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