TURKEY HAS TAKEN DECISIVE STEPS TOWARDS DEMOCRATISATION

Speaking at the opening of the panel titled "Turkey's Accession Process to the European Union and Agriculture" which was organised by Presidency of (TOBB) and Presidency of Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV) in Siirt, Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis pointed out that the first regional meeting on agricultural policy in the EU process was held in Siirt.

Noting that the second meeting was to be held in Kayseri, Bagis said,

"If our country now attracts direct investment from various countries of the world at an average of 20 billion dollars, this is because Turkey has taken major steps in the EU process. It is true that there is a global economic crisis in the world. A crisis the source of which is not us but which affects us even just a bit. However no crisis is permanent. What is permanent is competition. What should be permanent is free market economy. As a matter of fact European Union process is a solution and release for both Turkey and Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia. Because it is a union of ideas and a union of cultures which will enable us to love one another and take each other as we are without making any sacrifices from our own values".

Bagis stated that now in Turkey everybody came to understand that there had to be an end to inciting people to kill one another. Indicating that Turkey was no more a country where the Prime Ministers had been executed after the military coups as 50-60 years ago, Bagis continued his speech with the following:

"Turkey is no more a country where the the books of Kafka and Dostoyevski that are counted among the world's classics were collected 30 years ago. While the mayors of the Metropolitan Municipalities were being sent to prison for reading the poems taken from text books in Siirt, the mentioned imprisoned leader was elected at first as deputy and and then the Prime Minister from Siirt with a vote that is above 85%. This is an indicator which reflects that Turkey has taken very decisive steps towards democratisation. The EU process has many important contributions towards Turkey's democratisation and also in the process towards Turkey's governance by the ruling parties elected by the national will."

Bagis emphasized that they would work together for Turkey to attain a constitution that would be a source of inspiration for the whole Euroasia and for the reform steps that had to be taken in EU process.

Addressing the audience gathered in front of the Cultural Centre where the meeting was held, Bagis said that they would overcome the problems of Siirt with Kasim Ceylan, the candidate of AK Party, in such a manner that they had overcome the problems of Turkey.

Resource: AA