The European Union risks damaging its image worldwide if it does not do more to protect Islam against insults, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said in an interview.

Gul said that was the message he gave EU counterparts in the Austrian city of Salzburg at a meeting called to draw lessons from the controversy over cartoons lampooning the Prophet Mohammad. ?The laws are already there but they should cover all religions?, Gul said, referring to existing European laws to protect religions from insult.

?People should not think that respect of religions, respect for others? identities, is not part of the European values?, Gul said. ?If they think like that, the image of Europe is damaged.?

The Turkish foreign minister stressed he did not want debate limited to the cartoons, and would call on his European colleagues to work together on all aspects of racism and discrimination to prevent other crises.

?In this fragile world we have to be very responsible ... I invite all of us to be more careful, because there are people or individuals that want to exploit these issues?, Gul said, adding that he thought the cartoons? publication had been wrong.

The call to review legislation is controversial. Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller said on Friday that EU countries would not change laws on freedom of expression.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner suggested on Friday that EU states make an inventory of national laws protecting religions from insult but did not call for specific changes.

The EU and the OIC previously presented competing resolutions to the UN General Assembly, but EU countries voted against the OIC text on the ground that it focused too narrowly on discrimination against Islam.

Ingrid MELANDER