Assad: "If it's not really a Christian club, then the EU should admit Turkey"

If it wants to prove that it's not a "Christian club," the European Union should accept Turkey, a predominantly Muslim country, into its ranks, Syrian President Bashar Assad told German daily Bild in an interview this week. Stating that European countries continually talk about openness and dialogue between cultures, Assad said, "But if you isolate yourself, and gravitate towards a monolithic culture and social order, you can't maintain dialogue with others." Rebuffing claims that Turkey is turning its back on the West, saying that on the contrary it is the West that has started to steer away from Turkey, Assad stressed the importance of the role that Turkey has taken in the region in recent years. "Turkey has become a clear balancing element in a complicated region," he said.