UK supports Turkey's bid to EU

PanARMENIAN.Net - Britain's new Foreign Secretary David Miliband on Wednesday reaffirmed London's support for Turkey's bid to join the European Union and also urged the Muslim country to play a bigger role in the Middle East.



"It is the absolute determination of the new (British) government led by Gordon Brown that we will continue to play that role (of championing Turkey's EU bid)," Miliband told a joint news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan.



"Shared institutions matter a lot and we want the European Union to be a shared institution of which Britain and Turkey are full and equal members," said Miliband, who took up his job after Brown replaced Tony Blair as prime minister in July.



"We are grateful to the UK for the support and policy towards Turkey. We will continue the process of reforms provided by the process of European integration," said Ali Babacan, who is also Turkey's EU chief negotiator, Reuters reports.