CIVIL SOCIETY DIALOGUE MEETING IN EU PROCESS
Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis held a meeting with the representatives of non-governmental organizations which could contribute to EU membership process in the MEB Council Hall.
In the meeting the purposes of which were to further develop cooperation with non-governmental organizations in the forthcoming period, exchange views and receive their contributions, non-governmental organizations which would like to take part in the dialogue between EU and Turkey and carry out activities in this framework also had a chance to express themselves on a common platform.
During the opening of the meeting in which a large number of representatives of non-governmental organizations took the floor, Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis, along with Secretary General for EU Affairs Oguz Demiralp, President of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) Rifat Hisarciklioglu, Head of Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TÜSİAD) Arzuhan Doğan Yalçındağ, Counsellor (Head of Political Affairs, Press Information) at Delegation of the European Commission to Turkey Diego Mellado, also delivered a speech.
Characterising the meeting as the beginning of mutual dialogue and joint efforts, Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis in his speech stated that they attached special significance to the issue of civil society as European Union Ministry.Indicating that the legal framework regarding the functioning of the civil society was one of the most democratised areas in the European Union accession process, Bagis stated that important changes had been made to the Associations Law and the Foundations Law and said, "We are paving the way for freedom to organise, we are lifting the bans. Lastly, the change which provides for the appointment of members to Foundations Assembly in Foundations Law is an example of this democratisation process".
Noting that Civil Society Dialogue project from which hundreds of non-governmental organizations won grants now became a mark, Bagis said, "As Chief Negotiator, I also need support from our non-governmental organizations on the way to the EU membership. I must inform and convince both 70 million citizens of Turkish Republic of the advantages of European Union membership and 450 million Europeans of contributions of Turkey".
Stating that he wanted Non-Governmental Organizations to make their voices heard in Europe as well, Bagis said, "Let's talk in Ankara and have it resounded in Europe" and continued to say the following:
"Find your counterparts in EU and establish dialogue and contact. If our support is needed in deciding with which people to establish contact, we may help. Participate in the conventions and meetings of your European counterparts. Represent Turkey there.
You both contribute to civilisation of our country and set forth the advantages of this process for our people. On the other hand you will shape the attitude of European public opinion towards our country positively through the bridges you will build with your counterparts in European Union member states".
Saying "We are moving rapidly towards the EU not as state or government of Turkish Republic but citizens of Turkish Republic and individuals", Bagis stressed that they had to win hearts and minds of the EU. Bagis indicated that in this framework he attached great importance to the issue of tourism in terms of winning heart of European public opinion.Bagis said, "If we, military, civilian, young, old, Alevi, Sunni, Kurd, Turk, Circassian, Laz, Armenian, Jew, Muslim in Turkey, are to choose a common target, EU has become a common enthusiasm for many of us".
Reminding that Turkey's membership process had been initiated in 1959 with the application for partnership to EEC, Bagis stated that taking over the task after 50 years as the Chief Negotiator, was an honour for him. He pointed out "We know that we have lost so much time on one hand. In fact, the reason for the prolonging of the process is that the EU process is only perceived as the project of the state and the government."
Bagis continued his speech with the following:
"We all know the periods when Turkey has pretended to be waiting for EU membership and at the same time has lived inside the walls it built around itself. It has been assumed that those walls provided protection. But we know that the walls merely locked Turkey economically, politically and socially.
A locked country can't be considered as stable. You can't get rid of the problems by locking them inside the iceberg. The sun emerges and the iceberg melts away and afterwards, the problems that are assumed to have been frozen pile up in front of you more complicated than before."
Bagis pointed out "Whenever Anatolia has felt an enthusiasm for something, it is certain that, it has always achieved this goal." He stated that benefiting from this enthusiasm, bringing to the fore their common grounds and not their differences and being tolerant to one another would lead to understanding themselves much better in EU process.Emphasizing that as the government they were determined to find a way to all problems of Turkey, Bagis said "When we unlock Turkey, that astounding historical energy will have been activated. Even the beams of this energy excite both Turkey and the huge geography around it. We are not scared of Turkey's lively, active and dynamic structure. You are the representatives of this dynamic structure. Some are scared of and has been scared of Turkey's dynamism. On the contrary, we are aspiring for the acceleration of Turkey's dynamism."
Bagis stated that there was no use in postponing the problems and he said "As a matter of the fact, we do not have a policy such that. The postponed problems piled up and constituted the problems that we face today. Currently, as AK Party Government, we have been dealing with these problems. Our aim is not to leave any problems unsolved for the future and find out a solution to the problems that has been piled up till today."
Bagis continued with the following:
"We are switching from an atmosphere of fear where everything that is 'foreign' is counted as an enemy to an atmosphere of 'Partnership', equality, prosperity and democracy. We have been participating in the EU process which was once assumed as 'foreign' with our own social structure, savings, culture, economy, and creativity."
Stating that they perceive the EU Project as the project of the people and that the people and civil society should directly be involved in this process, Bagis noted that this process would not be complicated without the participation of civil society. He said "We should quit walking and start running."
