SCHULZ HOLDS CONTACTS IN ANKARA

Schulz first met with the speaker of the TGNA Cemil Çiçek. Schulz, who attended Inter-parliamentary Dialogue project, gave important messages.

On Turkey's new constitution process, Schulz said: "We have no doubt that Turkey will place the judicial system and civil authority above military authority and give equal protection to religious and ethnic minorities".

The speaker of the TGNA Cemil Çiçek for his part stressed Turkey's determination on the way to the EU and warned that Europe had always complained about extremism and fundamentalism in the past but today it has caught this disease.

Schulz also met with European Union Minister Egemen Bağış, CHP Leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and MHP Leader Devlet Bahçeli. Schulz was also received by President Abdullah Gül at Çankaya Presidential Palace and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at Justice and Development Party headquarters. Turkey's EU process was assessed at talks also attended by EU Minister Egemen Bağış.