BAGIS DECLARED THAT TURKEY WOULD NOT ACCEPT ANY ALTERNATIVE OTHER THAN FULL MEMBERSHIP TO EU

Within the framework of the contacts made in Paris Egemen Bagis, the minister for EU affairs and chief negotiator met firstly with Pierre Lequiller, Ulusal Meclis AB Komisyonu Başkanı the President of the Delegation of the National Assembly for the European Union. Later on Bagis met with Bernard Kouchner, the foreign minister of France, and he attended the complimentary working dinner hosted by Bruno Le Maire, secratary of state for European affairs.

After his contacts in Paris, Bagis attended a meeting for conversation with the Turkish press members. In that meeting he referred to the young and dynamic population of Turkey in comparison with the increasing old population of European Union countries. He also added: "In terms of the accession process, time is for Turkey".

Bagis stated that Turkey was not a cause for problems but a part of the solution in the economics, environment, energy and security issues. He added that as a G-20 country, a member of UN Security Council, the co-chairman of Alliance of Civilizations and as the country having the sixth biggest economy of Europe, Turkey's potential should be noticed by everybody.

Upon a question asking the opposition within France and EU to Turkey's membership, Bagis said that negotiations started with the assent of 27 member countries and Turkey is decisively progressing towards membership to EU.

Bagis said: "as stressed by the Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey cannot accept any other alternative than membership. Turkey's membership will be beneficial for both Turkey and EU."

Upon a question asking the arguments in the NATO summit regarding the appointment of a secretary general Bagis attracted the attention to the fact that Turkey was a candidate country for EU and continuing negotiations but it was a member of NATO and was the second largest country having the biggest military force within NATO.

Recalling the support of Turkey to NATO forces in Afghanistan, Somalia, and Kosovo Bagis said: "there is nothing more normal than explaining our thoughts and feelings in NATO".

Bagis stated that with the aim of finding solutions, some sensitive concerns were mentioned in the NATO Summit and they observed that this was respected by the other member states.

As an answer to the question regarding the lack of funding in Turkey for the "Turkish Season in France" Bagis emphasized that Turkey with its deep rooted traditions would not encounter any problems with regard to that issue.

Upon a question regarding the Turkey's stay in the speech hall despite the walking out of the EU member and candidate countries after the speech of Iran delegation in the opening session of the UN Commission on Human Rights held in Geneva, Bagis said that Iran was a neighbour of Turkey and they had important economic relations and bordering each other since ancient times. He added that Turkey's relations with Iran could not be like the relations of Iran with Norway or Sweden.

Bagis stated that Turkey's relations with its neighbours should be assessed with a comprehensive approach. He added: "if we did not have such relations, Turkey would not be able to act as a mediator between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Georgia and Russia, Israel and Syria. Also it would not suggest being a mediator between USA and Iran".

Resource: AA