Turkish President Abdullah Gül has warned that xenophobia, racism and Islamophobia are threatening Europe's own values and advised the 27-member European Union bloc to continue with an open vision.
"It's my sincere wish that this threat will be prevented from gaining more ground that will lead the EU to turn further in on itself and to harm the universal values that it pioneers," Gül said in a statement on the occasion of 'Europe Day' on Tuesday.
He urged EU countries to free themselves of "baseless worries" about Turkey's EU negotiations and to remove "the artificial barriers" raised on its road to accession as he reaffirmed Turkey's objective of full membership.
Describing Turkey's aspirations to join the EU as part of the country's strategic vision, Gül said it was for both sides to crown Turkey's half-century long journey with this end. A potential Turkish membership in the EU will strengthen the bloc's global position in the fields of energy, economy, foreign policy and security, Gül was quoted by Turkish media as saying.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan also issued a statement saying that the government's efforts at raising democratic norms through a set of reform packages were evidence of its will to join the EU.
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