Gul receives former French PM

President Abdullah Gul yesterday attended the opening reception of a landmark Salvador Dali exhibition at Istanbul's Sakip Sabanci Museum. Gul also met with members of the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency's Coordination Committee and learned about work on the project. Gul also received former French Prime Minister Dominique Villepin. "The European Union's views on Turkey have changed, and Turkey is an important country contributing to peace and stability in the region," said Villepin. Gul also stated that Turkey will continue to play that constructive role.