Pace Congratulates Gul On His Election As President

BRUSSELS - Rene van der Linden, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), sent on Tuesday a congratulatory message to Abdullah Gul, who has been elected the 11th President of Turkey.
In his congratulatory message, van der Linden expressed confidence that Gul's presidency will lead to further integration of Turkey in Europe.
"I warmly welcome the election of our former colleague, Abdullah Gul. He is a modern reformer and I am confident that he will be a President for all Turks. He was a member of the Turkish delegation to our Parliamentary Assembly for eight years and has always shown his strong attachment to the Council of Europe and the values of this organization stands for. I hope that his presidency will lead to the further integration of Turkey in Europe and I count on him not only to abide by Council of Europe standards, but also to spread the European spirit in Turkey," van der Linden said.
Van der Linden added, "Abdullah Gul is very well acquainted with European and international affairs and I am confident he will succeed in bringing the country closer to the EU as well as further developing the role of Turkey as an important player in the international arena."