UK calls on EU to 'reach out' to Turkey
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband today called on the European Union to "reach out" to Turkey after it re-elected an Islamic-rooted ruling party, to ensure it keeps to Western-minded reforms.
"It is very important that across Europe we reach out to the new government in Turkey when it is formed," Mr Miliband said as he arrived in Brussels for EU foreign ministers talks.
"A stable and secure political situation in Turkey is massively in our interest and we will certainly want to be taking forward our links with this very very important country," he said.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso congratulated Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's victory.
"This comes at an important moment for the people of Turkey as the country moves forward with political and economic reforms," Mr Barroso said in a statement.
The EU chief said Mr Erdogan "has given his personal commitment to the sustained movement towards" the EU.
With more than 99% of votes counted, television news channels were projecting Mr Erdogan's Justice and Development Party would win 341 of the 550 seats, down from 351 in the outgoing parliament.
Sweden's Foreign Minister Carl Bildt Erdogan had a new "impressive mandate" to forge ahead with more political and economic reforms.
"It's important that the government move ahead and demonstrate a commitment to that mandate," he said.
The 27-nation bloc, while divided over whether Turkey should one day join the EU, continues to spur Ankara to continue reforms to keep its membership bid on track.
Entry negotiations which were launched two years ago are going slowly, however, due to new objections from France's President Nicolas Sarkozy, who opposes Turkey's bid to join.
