PRESIDENT GUL'S VISIT TO A CEMEVI WAS THE FIRST SINCE ATATURK

Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis participated in a conference on EU Projects in the European Union Accession Process and Institutional Obligations organized by Bagcilar Municipality in Ramadan tent and Bagis gave information to the public about the reforms carried out in the European Union process.

In the beginning of his speech, Minister Bagis extended Mr. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s greetings to the Bagcilar people, and continued his speech as “Why do we so insist on the European Union process? Because we want the citizens of this country to become so prosperous as in Europe. We want the citizens of this country to reach the modern life standards, to internalize the democracy, to gain the freedom of expression, to use the same transportation opportunities with European Union citizens, and to have the same education standards.”

Bagis indicated that very important steps had been taken in the name of democratization during the European Union process, and he said “Until last year, there was a course given in high schools named as national security. Thousands of captains and colonels in Turkey have tried to tell the students in high schools the differences between the brigadier general and major general as if they do not have any other duties. Such an application has no place in EU standards. In the European Union member states, students are not taught about such issues. Should there be any necessity for a national security course, it is history teachers who should give that. Our soldiers should stay in the house of the prophet. They should be at the military post and be ready for the duties given in the fight against terrorism related to the security of our country. Also with the criticisms of the European Union, we have removed the national security course. People used to be afraid of saying “I am Kurd” in this country, today with the European Union process, state television broadcasts 24 hours in Kurdish, in our universities Kurdish institutes have been established, the prisoners have started to talk in Kurdish with their mothers, people have started to watch TRT-SES instead of ROJ TV which makes propagandas to parents about sending their children to mountains, they have started to listen the state’s message for them in the language that they know. Many reforms have been done not only for Kurdish citizens but also for Alevi citizens during the European Union process.

Turkey has witnessed a President visiting Cemevi since Ataturk. It has witnessed for the first time a Prime Minister who ensures workshops to be organized about Alevis and shares the iftar dinner of the Alevi citizens in Muharram month. Some information about Alevism has been inserted in the course books and many parts telling about the nice features of Islam from the point of Alevism are inserted either. There was a kebap restaurant in Sivas which was disturbing the public. We have expropriated that restaurant and turned it into a museum. There was a practice of using a lower coefficient to calculate the final score of the university admission which was a shame for us. Turkish citizens were exposed to discrimination in their own country. We have also put an end to this system. While some leaders in Europe were trying to expel their own Roma citizens, our Prime Minister embraced 20 thousand Roma citizens, gave them information about the Housing Acquisition and Vocational Training Programs of the State. Throughout the European Union Process, Turkey has become a much more democratic, transparent, credible, prosperous and a rich country. However, still, we have many things to do. So, we repeat our motto “don’t give up and continue to make reforms”.