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ANKARA: Duff: MEPs Ignorant Of Turkey's Geopolitical Importance

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  • ANKARA: Duff: MEPs Ignorant Of Turkey's Geopolitical Importance

    DUFF: MEPS IGNORANT OF TURKEY'S GEOPOLITICAL IMPORTANCE

    The New Anatolian, Turkey
    Sept 27 2006

    Andrew Duff, vice chair of the European Union-Turkey Joint
    Parliamentary Commission, yesterday criticized the European
    Parliament's passage of a report on Turkey, saying that many EP members
    are ignorant of the geopolitical importance of fully embracing the
    country within the European family.

    Duff, a British Liberal Democrat MEP, said, "The EP has taken two steps
    forwards and one step back in its approach towards the controversial
    issue of Turkish EU membership," urging the Union to encourage Turkey
    to continue developing a European brand of Islam that will help to
    unite East and West, despite the country's many current difficulties.

    "Without Turkey the EU will hardly succeed in building a serious
    common foreign, security and defense policy," Duff said.

    He also criticized the article approved by the MEPs on Cyprus, saying,
    "It is a pity that we have missed our chance to add value to the
    search for a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem. The EU
    still needs to fulfill its commitment to ending the isolation of the
    Turkish Cypriot community."

    Stressing that the rejection of an article in the report, prepared
    by MEP Camiel Eurlings, that aimed to make Turkey's recognition of
    the Armenian genocide claims a precondition for EU membership, is
    "good news," Duff urged Ankara to strengthen its efforts to adapt to
    EU standards, especially with respect to freedom of expression.
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