WE ARE READY TO SHARE OUR ENERGY WITH GERMANY IN EVERY FIELD

Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis received the Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor of Germany Guido Westerwelle in Istanbul Cıragan Palace Kempinski Hotel. After the meeting they held a joint press conference.

Indicating that they had made a very fruitful meeting in terms of Turkey-Germany relations and Turkey's EU accession negotiations, Bagis stated that the relations between the two countries were multi dimensional and 3 million Turkish people living in Germany constituted a natural bridge between the two countries. Bagis stated that Germany had important role with regard to Turkeys's relations with the EU and said: "Germany is a locomotive country in the EU"

Stating that Germany had played an important role both in Turkey's starting accession negotiations with the EU and in the point reached today in the negotiation process, Minister Bagis said:

"Guido, whom I am proud to call my friend, is appreciated not only by me as the Chief Negotiator but also by 72 million citizens for his determined attitude to add expressions supporting the continuation of Turkey's EU accession process to the protocol prepared for establishing a coalition government. I would like to thank Mr. Westerwelle for his support as the Foreign Minister of Germany to Turkey's EU accession process. Both our Prime Minster and I attach great importance to this support. I believe Mr. Westerwelle would make important contributions personally to relations of the two countries."

Indicating that they were touched by the warm attitude of Mr. Westerwelle during his two days in Turkey, Bagis said he would like to see him in Turkey more frequently. Bagis made a joke by saying: "However, he should not come here to be a candidate. We don't want to compete with such popularity."

Reminding that Mr. Westerwelle had said last week in Germany that they would have brought the sun of Spain and Turkey to Germany, Minister for EU Affairs Egemen Bagis said that in the meeting he had expressed his satisfaction for those words. Bagis continued: "In the EU accession process we are ready to share not only our sun energy but our energy in all other fields. Germany and Turkey have taken and will take joint actions not only in sunny days but also in snowy and hard days. Turkey's EU membership target is as strong as the sun."

Answering a question on Turkey's EU accession process, Bagis said: "EU membership for Turkey is not a temporary desire but a strategic target. Turkey has developed a lot since its first application in 1959. I am hundred per cent sure that we will see the day when Turkey becomes an EU member state. Everyday Turkey becomes more important for the EU. EU process is important for Turkey. However, Turkey is important for the EU too. I believe, by informing our societies and explaining the importance of Turkey for the EU and the importance of the EU for Turkey we can carry out the works to be done more rapidly. I don't doubt that you will see that happy day too."

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said that they made efforts to improve the relations between Turkey and Germany.

Indicating that Turkey had a great capacity and potential, Westerwelle said that a businessman had accompanied him in his visit and they had made bilateral negotiations with Turkish businessmen.

Guido Westerwelle said: "Why wouldn't we transfer, import sun energy produced in Turkey to Germany? We have the necessary technology. We can make such investments in Turkey by the help of that technology. As we take the gas from Serbia to Germany we can take the sun energy produced in Turkey to Germany.

Source: AA