Turkey's new foreign minister said that the country's...

Turkey's new foreign minister said that the country's drive for European Union membership would not be derailed if parliament fails to pass key reforms before elections expected in November.Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel told a news conference in Istanbul there was no urgency for the reforms, which include abolishing the death penalty and easing restrictions on minority Kurdish language broadcasting and education.
"Turkey is not under any time pressure for the European Union. People who create time pressure have only done so for their own political interests," said Gurel, who was appointed earlier in July after Ismail Cem quit to start a new party.