Islam is a reality for European Union, Turkish minister saysApril 2, 2013 - 11:44 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Islam is a reality for the European Union and Europeans won’t get anywhere by burying their heads in the sand, Turkey's EU Minister Egemen Bağış said, according to Hurriyet Daily News. “It is Islamophobia rather than Islam that is visible in France and across Europe,” Bağış said, referring to French far-right leader Marine Le Pen’s recent statement that Islam was “more visible” than before in France. “We know Ms. Le Pen’s statements on Turkey and our values but we don’t care too much. Some 11 percent of the French population is Muslim and 8 to 9 percent of the population of EU member states is Muslim. This number will increase to 15 percent across Europe in 2030,” he said Le Pen said in a recent interview that she did not have a problem with Turkey but that the main problem in France was the “visibility” of Islam. She also said she was against Turkey’s EU membership and could not understand why Turkey was seeking membership of a union which everyone wanted to get out of, while admitting that the “EU was not acting fairly toward Ankara.” Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Iran’s Red Crescent sends aid to Armenia’s flood-hit regions The Iranian Red Crescent Society has sent humanitarian aid to the victims of deadly floods that hit northern Armenia on May 25-26. Putin congratulates Pashinyan’s birthday Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on his birthday on June 1. Opposition motorcade en route to Gyumri for large rally A motorcade of protesters headed by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan is heading to the city of Gyumri. Ruling MPs, Foreign Minister talk Armenia-Azerbaijan processes MOs from the ruling Civil Contract party met with the Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in the Armenian parliament. |