FISCHER: TURKEY'S GEOSTRATEGIC IMPORTANCE INCREASES

Meeting with Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis at the Ataturk Airport, Chairman of the Group of Eminent Persons of the Council of Europe Joschka Fischer mentioned that Europe needed Turkey which has a real geostrategic importance and said: "Turkey should never relinquish its EU membership".

Turkey's EU membership was addressed in the meeting which was held after Egemen Bagis returned from Hungary where he participated in the meeting of EU Ministers from the EU Member States and Candidate Countries.

Stating that Turkey had recorded significant developments in the recent years and Turkey was a modern country, Fischer said: Turkey should never relinquish its EU membership as several things change in the world, Europe changes, the leaders change. The only thing that does not change is the need of Europe to Turkey which has such geostrategic importance… Turkey gains more geostrategic importance. Therefore, continue in the EU path without relinquishing the EU membership process.

Source: AA