BRUSSELS - Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Louis Michel said on Monday that the elections held in Turkey reflected the will of the nation.
Issuing a written statement, Michel said that ''Justice and Development Party (AK Party) got the majority of the votes as a result of the democratic elections. Turkish electors have put forward their preference in a clear way.'' Michel said he hoped the election results to guarantee political stability to Turkey, adding that ''I noted down with pleasure the statements of AK Party leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan who said that he would respect the secularism principle of the Turkish state and that he would not change the EU route.''
Hoping AK Party to continue Turkey's path to the EU, Michel said that ''I wish to encourage Erdogan to continue reforms in order to abide by Copenhagen criteria.''