STRASBOURG - ''Economic and social development are important for Southeastern Anatolia,'' European Commissioner for enlargement Olli Rehn said on Tuesday.
Replying to the questions of journalists in the European Parliament, Rehn said, ''economic and social development are necessary for this region rather than strict measures.''
Rehn said European Commission would maintain dialogue with Turkey pertaining to the recent developments, and noted that suspension of negotiations was out of question. ''A suspension of negotiations would not provide any improvement in the situation for the moment,'' he remarked.
Rehn said they expected Turkish authorities to refrain from ''excessive use of force'' while mitigating the incidents.
European Parliament general assembly will organize a session on Thursday about the developments in Southeastern Anatolia.