RECEPTION FOR WOMEN SUPPORTERS OF EU PROCESS

Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator, Egemen Bagis and his wife, Beyhan Bagis held a reception in the Ortakoy Office of the Secretariat General for EU Affairs, in the honour of "the EU Process Women Entrepreneurship Supporters". Emine Erdogan, wife of the Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended the reception as a guest of honour.

In his speech at the reception, Bagis stated that Turkey with all the colours it had pointed to its modern vision in the middle of Europe and Asia and the desire of Turkish women to reach the level of contemporary civilizations; and that everybody was unified around this target. Bagis also said that Turkey revealed a synthesis mould with tolerance, having the unique wealth of Asia at one side and the modern values of Europe at the other side; and this synthesis was called as ‘Istanbul'.

Minister for EU Affairs, Bagis said that the EU process was important to go beyond the level of contemporary civilizations targeted by Ataturk and Istanbul was as much important for the Europeans as it turned out to be a formula to solve all the problems of Europe including their integration problem.

Egemen Bagis noted that Turkey clearly pointed to its determination for the EU in the Brussels trip titled "Turkish Women in the EU Process" with all the colours it had and with its women constituting half of the population.

Speaking at the reception, Emine Erdogan said that the meetings held for two days in 29-30 April in Brussels with the people from the EU and with Turkish women living in Europe had produced positive consequences.

Stating that Turkish women would not wait to be granted rights in the EU process, Emine Erdogan said Turkish women should be pioneers, the driving power for change in the EU process, and push the process for the harmonization with the EU.

Source: AA