BAGIS VISITS STRASBOURG

Within the framework of Strasbourg visit, Egemen Bagis, Minister for EU Affairs and the Chief Negotiator, met with Jean Paul Costa, Head of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

During the meeting, issues such as the reforms implemented by the government in Turkey in the field of human rights and democracy, the applications to ECHR from Turkey and the realization of 14th protocol which will facilitate the working mechanism of ECHR were discussed.

In the second part of the Strasbourg contacts, Bagis met with Fiorello Provera, Deputy Chairperson of Foreign Affairs Committee of EP and Ria Oomen Rujiten, EP Turkey Rapporteur.

In the meeting, they discussed Turkey's membership negotiations and the "Progress Report for Turkey" published by EU Commission last week.

The same day Bagis met with Martin Schulz, President of the Socialist Group of the EP; Jerzy Buzek, President of the EP; Rebecca Harms, EP Co-President of the Greens Group; Helena Flautre, Co-President of Turkey-EU Joint Parlamentary Committee; Franziska Keller, Memeber of Turkey-EU Joint parlamentary Committee; Thorbjorn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe; Joseph Daul, Chairman of the Group of the European People's Party; Lothar Bisky, Chairman of the Group of the European Left; Jo Leinen, Chairman of the Committee on Environment; Gabriel Albertini, Chairman of the Committee on Forein Relations; Arnaud Danjean, Chairman of the Committee on Security and Defence; Elmar Brook, Member of the EP.

Bagis stated that he would give a press statement after the meeting.

Source: AA