Gul addresses Tunusia Parliament

During a working visit to Tunisia on Thursday, President Abdullah Gul raised his objection to an outright military intervention by foreign powers in Syria, saying that such a move might easily be misconstrued. Speaking at a joint press conference at Tunisia Parliament following a meeting held with his Tunisian counterpart Moncef Marzouki, Gul said that such an intervention could be subject to exploitation. During the conference, Gul also praised Tunisia's successful democratic experience, saying that the country constitutes a good example and a hope for others who would go through a democratic transition. "Protecting national integrity after making a revolution on Jan. 14 [2011], establishing a democratic parliament, making important headway towards plurality and rule of law and electing a government after all those successful processes, Tunisia is a hope for other countries which are on their way to democratic transition," Gul said. Speaking in his part, Marzouki said, "We are thankful to Turkey for its continuous support to Arab and especially Palestinian issues. During our meetings, we discussed the difficult situation suffered by Syria. Both Turkey and Tunisia wish that the bitter situation ends in Syria as soon as possible and a democratic and peaceful Syrian government is established. Gul yesterday became the first foreign president to address the Tunisian parliament since the 2010 "Jasmin Revolution."