The European Union's decision to extend membership talks with Turkey contributes to the Muslim country's stability and gives it a new position in Europe and the Islamic world, Foreign Minster Abdullah Gul said Sunday. The bloc on Friday agreed to start the membership talks with Turkey in October, but imposed tough conditions on Turkish membership, such as recognizing Cyprus before the talks open in October. "Turkey is a very different country than two days ago," Gul told supporters in Ankara. "We sense this inside Turkey. You see this when we're together with all our neighbors. You see this in Europe. In all the Muslim countries, in Arab countries, in the Caucasus, Turkey's position has changed." The EU made its decision despite widespread public misgivings in Europe about welcoming a poor and crowded Muslim nation into the bloc. "The important issue is that Turkey's direction has become definite. Turkey has entered a period of permanent stability," Gul said. --more 1444 Local Time 1144 GMT
