EP's Turkey rapporteur: "It's time for compromise on reforms"

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's victory in Sunday's general elections means the government has a greater responsibility to enact reforms, according to European Parliament Turkey Rapporteur Ria Oomen-Ruijten. "I congratulate Prime Minister Erdogan and the [Justice and Development Party] AKP with this victory," Oomen-Ruijten said in a statement released late on Sunday. "At the same time this victory brings great responsibility to address the outstanding reforms, show full commitment to the accession process and the will to engage constructively with the European Union, as well as the capacity to build a strong and ambitious vision of Turkey's future capable of representing the entire Turkish society across political lines." Erdogan promised during the campaign to rewrite the Constitution, drafted during military rule. "I hope these issues will be tackled responsibly by all political parties in a spirit of consensus and compromise," Oomen-Ruijten added. "The only way forward for uniting Turkish society on the basis of equal rights for every citizen is through political dialogue and concrete initiatives for reconciliation by peaceful means. This will bring Turkey closer to the European Union, which is in the interest of both Turkey and the EU."