International   

Bush pleads Turkey's E.U. cause

By Atul Aneja

MANAMA, JUNE 27. Brushing aside past differences over Iraq, the U.S. President, George W. Bush, today praised Turkey for successfully bridging Islam with democracy and called for its inclusion in an expanded European Union.

Mr. Bush, who is on a visit to Turkey, said his host country was a model for other nations in West Asia to follow. He added that the E.U. should give Turkey a firm commitment for including it in the grouping.

"I will remind people of this good country that I believe you ought to be given a date by the E.U. for your eventual acceptance into the E.U.,'' he said. Turkey has a longstanding demand for E.U. membership. The U.S. President said he appreciated Turkey as an example of, "how to be a Muslim country and at the same time a country which embraces democracy and rule of law and freedom.'' Mr. Bush's visit, however, took place against the backdrop of the kidnapping of three Turkish citizens in Iraq by suspected Al-Qaeda militants, who have threatened to execute them in the next 72 hours, unless all Turks in the country withdrew.

Turkey has not sent troops into Iraq, but its citizens are involved in doing business with the U.S.-led occupation forces. Mr. Bush's visit to Turkey was preceded by protests and bombings.

23 killed in Iraq blasts

AFP, AP report from Baghdad:

A car-bomb attack killed 23 people south of Baghdad in the latest atrocity to blight Iraq's build-up to sovereignty this week. Twin car bombs exploded in the centre of Hilla, a mainly Shia town 100 km south of Baghdad. The local hospital and the Health Ministry in Baghdad said 23 people had been killed, revising down a toll of up to 40 dead given earlier by the U.S.-led coalition.Two rockets also hit the protected area of Baghdad used by the coalition today.

In another incident, a U.S. transport plane was hit by small arms fire after taking off on Sunday from Baghdad airport, resulting in an unknown number of wounded, U.S. officials said.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

News: Front Page | National | Tamil Nadu | Andhra Pradesh | Karnataka | Kerala | New Delhi | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Updates: Breaking News |

Stories in this Section

• Bush pleads Turkey's E.U. cause
• Allawi offers amnesty to resistance fighters
• CIA suspends torture techniques
• Saudi crackdown raises internal tensions
• End of a democratic experiment, says Pakistan Opposition
• U.K. inquiry focus on Niger uranium claim
• China to reprint Buddhist encyclopaedia
• Recognition, after 60 years
• Russia warns NATO ahead of summit
• Ascendancy of the U.S. Right under threat
• Editor killed in bomb attack
• MMA `peace march' thwarted
• `Coffee cure for cancer'
• Iran to resume nuke programme
• Where IAF pilots will learn air force grammar

Copyright © 2004, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu