THE GUARDIAN PUBLISHES BAGIS'S ARTICLE

In his article on the negotiation process for the Guardian, Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator, Egemen Bagis pointed out that Turkey was resolute in pursuing full EU membership because it is mutually beneficial for both Ankara and Brussels despite all challenges and added, “The EU should stop blocking Turkey’s accession.”

Bagis indicated, “Together we can create a more open, tolerant and prosperous Europe.  Last week the European Union released the 2011 Progress Report on Turkey, the annual snapshot of Turkey’s reform process as an EU candidate country; however, this year’s report failed to capture the rapidly transforming image of Turkey.” Minister Bagis continued his words as follows:

“The report ignores the elephant in the room, Turkey’s membership bid is being blocked by a handful of countries, bringing negotiations to a virtual standstill. Over half of the chapters in the accession process are frozen, largely because some countries are associating Turkey’s candidacy to a settlement of the ling-simmering Cyprus problem. Despite strong Turkish support for UN efforts to reunify the island, Greek Cypriots prefer to escalate tensions instead of working for a permanent solution. As a result, settlement seems to be a distant prospect.”

In his article, Bagis said, “Despite these challenges, Turkey is resolute in pursuing full EU membership because it is mutually beneficial to both Ankara and Brussels. As the Progress Report points out, Turkey is the sixth largest economy in Europe and one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Trade and investment between Turkey and the EU is flourishing, creating jobs and bolstering industry. As a transit hub between European consumers and the oil and gas reserves of the Middle East and Central Asia, Turkey is critical for European energy security.”

Minister Bagis's article published on The Guardian