European Movement President Says It's Turkey's Job To Establish Modern, Secular, Democratic Shape Of Country

ISTANBUL - Pat Cox, President of the European Movement, said on Wednesday that democratic constitution should not be imposed on Turkey from outside and that it was Turkey`s job to establish modern, secular and democratic shape of the country.
Speaking at the opening of Forum Istanbul, a series of conferences, Cox said headscarf issue caused controversies in Turkey, and "it is Turkey`s problem, not Europe`s."
Cox also said European Union strongly supports Turkey`s accession to the bloc but there might be a slowdown in Turkey`s reforms. But Cox said he did not interpret it as a slowdown in Turkey`s interest in EU.
Another speaker of the meeting was ruling Justice & Development (AK) Party deputy chairman Saban Disli. Disli referred to claims that AK Party had desisted from relations with EU and denied those claims by saying, "first item on the agenda of the meeting of Turkey`s Council of Ministers has always been the EU."
(TÇ-MS)