NATO CANNOT PLAY THE THREE MONKEYS

Negotiating with the European Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Füle and European Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmström in Brussels and paying official visits in the European Parliament, Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis held a press conference in Permanent Representative of Turkey to the EU.

Noting that " NATO could not hide its head in the sand" regarding the bloody assault by Israeli on a convoy of ships carrying aid to Gaza in international waters, Bagis said there were citizens from 32 countries on the naval vessels to which Israeli attacked in international waters, among whom were human rights activists, notably non-governmental organizations.

Reminding that he had made a statement to the foreign press in Brussels and said as his personal opinion, if necessary, NATO should take a step and remove the blockage, which was the main reason of the cruel tragedy in Gaza", and he also called for NATO to take the responsibility.

Also mentioning the EU membership process of Turkey, Bagis said: "Turkey tries to promote its EU membership process with determination despite all kinds of unfair obstacles" and called those to justice who plugged up chapters of negotiations process and later made a fuss as "Turkey had drafted away the EU".

Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Bagis said: "These smear campaigns against Turkey have stemmed from the fact that the strategic importance of our country has increased all over the world, but in the Middle East in particular".

Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis also met European Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, Maria Damanaki, President of Liberal Group in European Parliament (EP) Guy Verhofstadt, and Co-Presidents of the Green Group, Daniel Cohn Bendit and Rebecca Harms.

Also meeting the members of the European wing of the Turkey- EU Joint Parliamentary Commission in EP, Bagis exchanged ideas regarding assault by Israeli on a convoy of ships carrying aid to Gaza.

Source: AA