OUR DUTY IS TO MAKE THE NEW GENERATION PROUD AND HEAD-HIGH INDIVIDUALS OF THE MODERN WORLD AND EUROPE

Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis, in the message he delivered for Teachers' Day, stated that their walk towards the aim of reaching the modern civilization which had been started by Great Ataturk with the principle of "real guide in life is science" continued with the steps taken for EU accession today. Bagis indicated that the greatest driving force on the way to EU membership was that of teachers.

Stating that teachers were the ones who teach the community and young people the value and vitality of reason, universal values, liberties and democracy, Bagis said that the Head Teacher Ataturk had said that the new generation would be the legacy of the teachers.

Bagis said "Under the leadership of our Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, ‘our duty is to make the new generation proud individuals of the modern world and Europe holding their heads high' and added that it could only be achieved by taking steps towards democratization, modernization and development without being scared and without giving up. Bagis said that the teachers didn't only teach science and give information but they also raised free-thinking, open-minded and brave generations.

Bagis continued as follows:

"As the son of an educationist, I believe that a nation who don't respect and value the teachers can't take determined steps towards its future. Caliph Ali says ‘be the slave of anyone who teaches you even a single letter of the alphabet' so it is traditionally accepted in our culture. Being aware of this, we remember and commemorate our teachers not only on the occasion of teachers' day. Each year, our government allocates the greatest portion of the budget to education. We are trying to raise the living and working standards of our teachers. That a woman, a mother is appointed as the Minister of National Education for the first time in the history of the Republic proves the importance we attach to education."

Reminding that Turkey could only reach the level of contemporary civilizations and the place she deserved among the European nations by the efforts of teachers who raised generations of people whose ‘thinking, beliefs and education were totally free', Bagis congratulated the 24th of November, Teachers' Day and expressed his gratitude and respect to teachers.

Source: AA