Britain's Sunday Telegraph interviews President Gul

In an interview with the British Sunday Telegraph newspaper ahead of his visit to London, President Gul said that Turkey is determined to join the European Union despite the euro zone economic crisis and could become the EU's "growth engine." Gul said the 27-member EU bloc should not halt the entry of new members because of the economic problems of the euro zone.

"Some people who think in a narrow scope and who do lack a strategic perspective consider Turkey's membership a burden," Gul told the British daily. Gul said Turkey's thriving economy, which grew 11 percent in the first quarter of 2011, could give Europe a shot in the arm, adding that the people who can think 30 or 60 years ahead about changing economic trends and changing centers of power can understand how much strength Turkey can bring to the existing strength of Europe. Commenting on the Syria issue, President Gul said there was "no place for authoritarian regimes" in the Mediterranean region, heaping more pressure on the embattled Syrian regime. Gul said he had been encouraging his Syrian counterpart to embark on democratic reforms before the uprising.