ANKARA (AA) - Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul left for Sweden on Monday to attend NATO Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council Security Forum.
Speaking to reporters at the airport, Gul said that he would chair a panel on Central Asia during the forum.
Gul stressed that foreign ministers would discuss issues concerning NATO and enhancement of relations among countries, noting that the cooperation between NATO and international organizations would be discussed during meetings in Sweden.
Gul noted that Turkish State Minister Guldal Aksit and he would attend a panel discussion on women's rights in Swedish capital of Stockholm on Tuesday (May 24th).
When asked whether or not the decision on holding a possible early elections in Germany would affect Turkey's EU membership process, Gul said that such political developments could happen in democratic communities any time, adding that Turkey's EU process would not be affected by such developments.
''Turkey has relations with countries, not with political parties,'' he indicated.
Gul underlined that if Turkey fulfilled what was required for its accession to the union, there would not be a change in the process.
Replying to a question on works carried out by Turkey against countries of which parliaments adopted bills on so-called Armenian genocide, Gul noted that such works should be carried out fastidiously. Stating that they considered so far that the issue should be investigated by historians, Gul noted that however Turkey pursued a more active policy on the issue in the last few months. He added, ''we are carrying out a series of works.''
(E֭MS)
2005-05-23