TURKEY SHOULD TAKE A ROLE IN SOLVING PROBLEMS OF EUROPE FROM NOW ON

Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis stated that when we considered the economic, political power and military facets of the countries which carried the burden of European Union, Turkey should take part in solving the problems that Europe had to cope with.

Bagis delivered a speech at the "Europe-Turkey Project 2030: Thoughts on Relationship" panel in Bahcesehir University which was held within the context of project activities titled "Istanbul in Globalizing World" and headed by Dr. Fuat Keyman and Dr. Nora Fisher. Minister Bagis expressed that Istanbul itself was such a city which was telling why Turkey should became a member of EU and that the mosques, churches and synagogues had been giving relief to people for ages in Istanbul.

Stating that one of his old friends Dr. Kalypso Nicolaidis who was a member of EU Reflection Group also attended the meeting, Bagis said that EU Reflection Group prepared a report which indicated the obstacles and opportunities of 2030 Europe, and that the report both eliminated the worries of most of people and implicitly reflected that Turkey was a great prospect for EU by considering sensitivities.

Pointing out that Europe had to encounter so much problems as it was affected from global economic crisis, it got behind the potential rivals concerning economic growth, its share in global capital was gradually decreasing, it got behind technology and R&D, it had become more and more dependent on the field of energy, it could not create new job opportunities, it needed employment but did not have a young population and it progressed too slowly to become an effective actor in the arena of foreign affairs, Bagis stated that Turkey was a key country in solving these problems and added:

"If these problems are not solved, Turkey will be one of the leading countries which will also have problems. When we consider the economic, political power and military facets of the countries that have carried the burden of European Union, Turkey should take a role in solving the problems that Europe has to cope with from now on."

Source: AA