Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, currently in New York for meetings with the United Nations General Assembly, reacted with harsh words to news of the last minute cancellation of the conference on Armenians previously scheduled to start today. Said Gul, "It is unusual to find a country which hurts its own cause as much as Turkey does."

Gul went on: "Those who are trying to stop the EU accession talks on October 3 are showing their last efforts. It won't be surprising to me if new forces are joined to them. There is no greater master at hurting themselves than us."