Italian FM Frattini: "Erdogan brought Turkey closer to EU"

Commenting on this weekend's referendum in Turkey on a comprehensive constitutional reform package, which resulted in an overwhelming show of support from the Turkish nation, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini called the referendum outcome an important achievement for the Turkish government led by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "It is a great success. Prime Minister Erdogan made a significant progress, bringing Turkey closer to the EU," Frattini said. Implying that the approval of the reform package would make the parliamentarian democracy in Turkey stronger, Frattini said, "It's a confidence-inspiring development that it was decided that there would be no place for powers other than the people who elect its own representatives as part of Turkey's democratization process, and that a new constitution would be drafted based on this principle." He also said, "With the referendum outcome, Turkey showed its willingness to make progress on the path towards integrating into the EU."