Gul attends Turkey-EU meeting in Istanbul

Attending a Turkey-European Union Joint Consultative Committee meeting in Istanbul yesterday, President Abdullah Gul said that the only way for Turkey to emerge from its current political deadlock is to continue its EU reform process. He added that if these reforms are realized, the concerns of some sectors of society would be dispelled. Gul also said that the principles and institutions of democracy shouldn't be damaged. In related news, Gul yesterday met with Chief of General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit along with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other officials to evaluate last week's NATO summit. Turkey's strategy on a NATO missile defense system dominated the meeting.