EP President says he will meet former DEP deputy Zana

ISTANBUL (AA) - European Parliament (EP) President Josep Borrell Fontelles said on Saturday that he would meet Leyla Zana, former deputy of the banned Democracy Party (DEP), tonight.
     Speaking in a conference on ``Turkey-EU relations in the threshold of a critical decision`` to be held in Istanbul by Economic Development Foundation (IKV) and Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), Borrell Fontelles, mentioning freedom of religious minorities and ethnic groups in Turkey, said, ``I will meet Leyla Zana tonight, and visit (southeastern city of) Diyarbakir tomorrow. Thus, I will be the first EP president visiting Diyarbakir.``
     Meanwhile, Borrell Fontelles was protested by Ramazan Bakkal, an administrator of the Turkish Non-Governmental Organizations Union. Bakkal said, ``why are you going to Diyarbakir? Have you been to Basque and speak in Basque? Patriots won`t enable you divide this country. What will you do in Diyarbakir? There are also poor people in (Aegean city of) Denizli and (northwestern city of) Bilecik.``
     After this intervention, Borrell Fontelles continued his speech.
     (BRC-AY)
2004-12-04