EGEMEN BAGIS MEETS WITH EUROPEAN TURKS IN GERMANY

Minister for European Union Affairs Egemen Bagis paid a two days visit to Germany upon the invitation of the Union of European Turkish Democrats (UETD). Bagis made contacts in Mannheim and Frankfurt.

On the first day of his visit Bagis attended the opening ceremony of UETD’s Mannheim Office and met with the representatives of non-governmental organisations subsequently. Bagis attended the opening program of Mannheim and Rhein-Neckar Metropolitan district. In the speech he made there he indicated the importance of education and said: “No to assimilation, Yes to integration”

On his second day in Germany, Bagis continued to hold talks in Frankfurt and came together with Turkish and German entrepreneurs. Bagis attended the Hessen Region Congress of the Union of European Turkish Democrats which was held in Frankfurt.

Bagis made a speech to the Congress and said: “Turkey today, after many years, is happy for coming together again with its citizens who were supposed to have been lost already. In the past there was a Turkey which disdained its citizens living abroad and didn’t make any efforts to learn about them. However, today there is a Turkish state the representatives of which, starting from the Prime minister and the ministers, are deeply interested in the problems of our cognates living abroad.”

After his visit Bagis made an evaluation and indicated that the Prime minister attached great importance to have Turkish citizens living abroad in key positions in politics, media and the academic world of the country where they live and he was happy because the steps which they took for that purpose was now giving results. Bagis said: “UETD undertakes the mission of coordination and motivation; it is impossible not to appreciate its efforts.”