7TH INTERNATIONAL TURKISH OLYMPICS

Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis attended the opening ceremony of International Turkish Olympics organised by the International Turkish Education Association (TURKCEDER) in Kizilcahamam.

Bagis started his speech at the ceremony by saying that the Prime Minister had sent his regards and continued as follows: "It is impossible not to be touched after watching this program. The Olympics which has improved in time and became a great international organisation in which communities from all over the world participate with their music, colours, costumes, dynamism, identity and unity." Egemen Bagis stated that he congratulated sincerely the educationalists who established a bridge of brotherhood all around the world by means of Turkish, for their works.

Minister Bagis said:

"Actually, when we consider the progress achieved, we see that our country where there were restrictions on speaking different languages even of its own freely is now teaching its language in 115 countries. If it wins the votes of 152 of 191 countries voting for the first time after 47 years in UN Security Council which is one of the most important authorities in the world working on the most complicated issues of the world today and can bring young people from 115 countries together, it is clear that assurance has played an important role in this success.

If Turkey is today the mediator and peacemaker between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Syria and Lebanon, Georgia and Russia and in other conflicts in the world, decisiveness of the people present in this saloon has a great role in that."

Speaking about EU negotiations, Bagis said:

" In the EU process started by late Adnan Menderes, we could not even get a date to start the negotiations for 45 years. However, in a limited period of time we not only got a date but also started the negotiations and opened 10 chapters. Today, if Turkey is progressing decisively towards membership and 27 European countries agree that Turkey has reached to a point in achieving its EU membership target from which there is no return, the decisive manner of this government had a great impact on that. I heartily believe that everything starts with assurance. If the persons who carried out this organisation did not believe in their success and did not take a step with the contribution of 17 countries, 115 countries today wouldn't be celebrating our language and making contributions to peace in the world."

Ex-minister Isilay Saygin, educationalists, visiting groups from 115 countries and citizens attended the ceremony at which Mehmet Saglam, Chairman of Turkish Great National Assembly Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Commission, also made a speech.

Resource: AA