Abdullah Gul Quotations

There is no other country which harms its own interests this much,

We have completed our mission to the EU, now we are on our way to the Balkans. Our ancestors went on horse back, we are going by plane.

We want to start negotiations, and we are working for this but within the framework of the realities,

We reached agreement; I am going to Luxembourg,

We have reached a historic point, ... Turkey will be the only Muslim country in EU.

We have reached a historic point, ... Full membership negotiations will, God willing, begin tonight.

There is a link with an organization in Afghanistan in terms of belief and understanding.

Turkish-American relations are based on very strong foundations. Currently, we have a war in the region, which could not be prevented, unfortunately. We hope it is a short war ... with minimum casualties.

No-one expects us to go to Luxembourg before seeing the negotiation framework document,

Because of the holiday, we will apply to parliament this week,

I can't see any problem that will prevent the start of talks on October 3,

If the European Union decides not to keep its word, if its own leaders decide to forget their signatures beneath the decisions they've made before the ink has even dried ... if they decide to ignore all this and impose new conditions that Turkey will never accept ... then of course in that case this kind of partnership can never be.

We are facing serious problems with the start of negotiations. We are in intense negotiations,

There is an act of prejudice against us, and there needs to be great efforts to correct this. Clear sentences and words should be put into the draft to remove uncertainty,

Laws are not untouchable. If necessary we can change these laws. However, first we will see how these laws are interpreted.

Our friendly relationship of mutual understanding with the United States will go on, ... One should not limit it to a motion.

will be reached in the coming days. ... They understand our worries; we understand theirs.

we have stuck to our side of the bargain, the EU should stick to theirs.

Those inside and outside the country who want to obstruct us as we go towards October 3 are making their last efforts,

We are ready to provide every sort of help,

We were able to meet the deadline, so already we have learned to play this game under your guidance.

This result is something which concerns the French public ... not Turkey,

Undoubtedly there is but there are intense efforts.... We still have time to solve the problems.

Two Turks carried out the suicide attacks but there were other Turks involved too,

expresses its readiness to establish relations with the new partnership state that will emerge following a comprehensive settlement on Cyprus.

Turkey is a sufficiently strong and secure country. Such incidents happen everywhere, in London, in Paris, everywhere,

We are sure of ourselves, and we know what we have to do, ... We will keep our promises, and we expect the European Union to keep its promises.

At the time of the Cold War, we were defending Europe when some of the countries in the EU today were on the other side of the fence.

The words attributed to me are not correct.

Powell was simply expressing hope. There is no deadline for Turkey to respond.

There will be no change in our position today until there is a lasting settlement on Cyprus,

It was only in December (2004) that European Union leaders agreed to open membership talks with Turkey on Oct. 3 (2005). Yet as the date looms, doubts over whether the talks will start keep recurring. This is not because of any fault of my government, but rather because of certain countries within the EU,

I trust the EU will overcome the skepticism which now exists within the Union (towards Turkey), ... We expect that those concerns of ours will be handled to mutual satisfaction.

Everyone knows there's no point in going to Luxembourg without seeing this document.

The Turkish people are at peace with themselves and with their history,

Once Turkey enters in the European Union, all these circles will also see themselves, one way or another, represented within the EU.

A partnership between the EU and Turkey would not be established if the EU did not keep its promises, if leaders of the EU member states forgot they had signed several documents or neglected their signatures due to some reasons, and if they brought forward new conditions which could never be accepted by Turkey,

I cannot say anything definite about whether negotiations will be opened in a few days. They may or may not be launched,

The Iraqis should be able to administer themselves, but we say the withdrawal of coalition forces before these things can happen would cause a vacuum, a gap.

This is a historic decision both for Turkey and for Europe. It (the commission) has made the recommendation it had to make.

The EU can make a contribution to the economy.

The goal of my visit was to help ensure the decision of the UN Security Council is applied quickly and completely,

The genuine step Turkey expects is direct trade together with financial aid. This unilateral decision by the EU will bring new problems and difficulties.

The current status quo works against the interests of all. The time has come to move forward all together, leaving behind restrictions and confrontation.