DIFFERENCE OF TURKEY IS DEMOCRACY

Delivering a speech in Nahda Network Summit held in Istanbul, where the activists from Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Syria, Lebonan and Philistine gathered, Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis mentioned the role and image of Turkey in the region. 

Indicating that the concept of “Arabian Spring” was the issue arousing the largest interest in all EU countries that he recently visited and of the Officials from the Commission in Brussels, Bagis said that the role of Turkey in the region and its approach to the events really increased curiosity of many people.

Stating that the most important power differentiating Turkey from other countries in the region is democracy, Bagis said “We are going through a process where we are trying to make sure that culture of democracy and İslam go hand in hand since 1923, which is revitalized day by day”.

Emphasizing that the fundamental factor making Turkey different was its efforts towards reaching EU standards, Bagis continued his speech as follows:

“The process beginning in 1959 is the one that was institutionalized in 1963 when the deceased Ismet Inonu signed the Ankara Agreement.  But until 2004, a date was not given to Turkey for the negotiations.  We are now in a new process in Turkey since 2002. That is the one where the will of the nation tries to be in power, which we call “term of ruling Justice and Development Party” and the outsiders call “Erdogan style”. The most significant transformation that Justice and Development Party achieved in Turkey is approximation and combining the values of the nation and those of the state. In fact the values of this nation are very close to democracy, because we have consultancy in our culture; we have solidarity, research, examination and then taking-decision. I think this is the most important feature of Justice and Development Party.”

Source: AA