FM Davutoglu meets with Rehn

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu yesterday met with EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn in Stockholm, Sweden, which set to assume the European Union's rotating presidency on July 1. Speaking to a joint press conference afterwards, Rehn said that the European Union Commission was committed to Turkey's full membership talks, despite the proposal made by German Prime Minister Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy about a ‘privileged partnership’ status instead of full membership for Turkey. For his part, Davutoglu said, "Our aim in the EU process is full membership." He reiterated that Turkey would reject any alternative for Turkey's full membership bid, and that the full EU membership was strategically important for Turkey's foreign policy.