BAGIS INDICATED IN HIS ARTICLE “TURKEY IS THE VARIABLE MISSING FROM THE EQUATION OF EUROPE”

The article by Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis, titled “Economic and Political Depression in European Union” was published in the journal “Status in Foreign Trade”, in its October 2013 issue.

Minister Bagis, indicated that the sustainability and the future of the integration process in EU following the crisis was under serious discussion, said that the EU was still suffering from the  long-lasting effects of the five-year global economic problems, which are the crisis of confidence of a political nature and existential crisis.

Minister Bagis indicated that, even though economic imbalances - which reached their highest levels in many Member States prior to the crisis - had begun to recover, the social and political costs had been extremely high and noted that the crisis had not been limited to economy and had effects on the domestic politics of these countries.

Egemen Bagis, stating that the crisis offered an important opportunity of reform for Europe, also said “the EU is now in the process of reviewing its structural problems, as well as its political and institutional architecture, which have been the reasons for these imbalances for years.”

Minister Bagis, indicating that he had full confidence that Turkey would contribute significantly to the new mentality of the EU - which wished to assume the role of a global actor, added “We believe that the EU should go beyond what it is accustomed to so as to benefit from the opportunities emerging from the crisis. That Turkey is the variable missing from the equation of Europe should be seen.