BRUSSELS - European Parliament's Liberal Democrat group leader Graham Watson called on Friday for support to the reform process in Turkey.
According to the written statement issued by Liberal Group Press Centre, in a speech to the Liberal International Congress in Dakar, Senegal, Graham Watson said: ''the European Union can and must be ready to welcome Turkey and predominantly Muslim states like Bosnia Herzegovina when the time comes. In Turkey, as here in Senegal, secular Islam is making important advances in the face of fundamentalism. I anticipate that the European Commission's next report will send another strong signal to Turkey that valuable progress towards accession is still being made. Problems remain, not least the continued detention of Leyla Zana, but we owe it to Turkey's reformers to support them in their efforts and to share their ambitions for secular Islam. It is vitally important that this Congress sends a powerful message of support to Turkey, especially as many in Europe continue to question its European vocation for no other reason than because they believe that Turkey lies on the far side of some cultural divide.''
In his address, Mr Watson argued that for Liberals, ''the issue is not the divide between Islam and the West but between secular government and its enemies. The good news is that we - Liberals from the West and Islamic countries alike - stand together on one side of this line.''
''Even in Europe, secularists continue to struggle against attempts to define Europe in Christian terms and as a Christian culture. The European Liberals have vigorously opposed, and will continue to oppose, the attempts of the Christian democrats to insert a reference to a Judaeo-Christian God into our new European Constitution,'' he added.
(ÖŞ-AY) 24.10.2003