"WE DO NOT DEMAND PRIVILEGE, WE DO NOT WANT HURDLE EITHER"

Visiting Stockholm, capital of Sweden, and attending the 27th Turkey-EU Joint Consultative Committee Meeting, Egemen Bagis, Minister for EU Affairs and the Chief Negotiator, stated in his speech that Turkey's EU membership was completely a "win-win" situation.

Informing about Turkey's EU membership process, Bagis said: "Turkish Government is continuing with determination the reform process which makes Turkey become closer to EU membership." Stating that the reforms would increase the number of the chapters that are going to be opened for negotiations, Bagis said: "Our success in the accession process depends on the continuation of the reforms."

Bagis stated that the negotiation process could be interrupted due to the reasons originating from some member states. He said: "Turkey is continuing to implement reforms and the accession process is continuing despite the domestic and foreign resistance. We do not demand privilege; on the other hand, we do not want discrimination either."

Emphasizing that single market was the skeleton of the EU, Bagis stated that EU had been a success story throughout the history of world politics with its integration that based upon free movement of goods, persons, services and capital. Bagis noted these:

"The basis of this integration is free movement and we can not accept a partnership in which Turkey is deprived of this right. For the Customs Union to function well, consultation mechanisms should apply fairly and the visa issue should cease to be an obstacle. Moreover, Turkey which has constituted Customs Union with the EU since 1996, has already established a privileged partnership by such integration without becoming a member of the EU, in other words, without being completely involved to the decision making mechanisms.

I'm sure that our European friends who know very well the importance of the economic benefits, equal opportunities, competition and an integrated market will give their support to us against the politicians who use Turkey's EU membership process as a political material. We shouldn't forget the fact that Turkey's membership to EU is a win-win situation."

Bagis stated that in some European countries, there were some problems originating from prejudices and lack of information about Turkey and its EU membership process. He emphasized that some incorrect perceptions and lack of information related to EU were also observed in Turkey.

Within that scope, Bagis noted that a Draft Framework for European Union Communication Strategy (EUSC) had been prepared aimed at explaining Turkey to the public opinion in EU and EU to the public opinion in Turkey. Bagis stated that a meeting was going to be held with the media in the near future in order to receive their opinions and afterwards, he added, EUSC was going to be announced and then, he continued, it was going to be implemented as of the beginning of 2010.

Bagis met with Cecilia Malmström, President of the EU and Minister for EU Affairs of Sweden, at the breakfast before the meeting. Alexandra Cas Gronje, member of the EU Commission, also participated in the meeting.

In his speech, Malmström said that they supported Turkey's efforts and he expressed that they were pleased about the reforms Turkey made. Noting that their supports to Turkey would continue, Malmström informed that the Environment Chapter would be opened for negotiations.

Source: AA