Italy's Fini: "If the EU makes a wrong decision on Turkey, it will setabilize its own future"

Turkey is secular and a NATO member country and plays an important role in the region, said Italian Parliament Speaker Gianfranco Fini yesterday. Speaking to Sabah daily in Rome, he added, "I don't want the EU to reject Turkey just because it's a majority-Muslim country. If Turkey doesn't apply the EU criteria, then the Union should reject Turkey's membership. Membership cannot be based on religious or geographical grounds." Stating that Turkey should be granted full EU membership when it meets all the criteria, he added, "If the EU destabilizes Turkey with a wrong decision, it will also destabilize its future."