"DESPITE THE RESISTANCES TURKEY PROGRESSES ON HER WAY TO EUROPE" BAGIS SAYS

Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis stated that the EU wasn't just the enthusiasm of AK Party but Turkey's shared enthusiasm and said "Only with this approach can we have success."

At the meal organized by AK Party Besiktas District Presidency, Bagis started his speech by extending the greetings of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and said that Turkey had a 50-year-old EU history and it could be clearly seen that many things have changed in 50 years.

Reminding that not even a date for negotiations was received during the first 45 years, Bagis emphasized that this was due to the EU countries against Turkey as well as some mistakes Turkey had made and that democracy was interrupted by military interventions.

Stating that Turkey was determined on the way to EU, Bagis said that the greatest part of the budget has been allocated to the Ministry of National Education since 2002 and that a woman's and a mother's involvement in education would bring many important contributions. Bagis said that in their meetings with Nimet Cubukcu they decided to include EU accession process at school lessons and as a part of the education.

Emphasizing that they would continue to carry out reforms in the EU process and try to raise Turkey to the level of modern civilizations, Bagis said that they wouldn't let Turkey's standards to fall below EU standards.

Bagis said "We can realize the EU process together with our government and our opponent. There is a two-year period ahead without elections. We want to carry out a judicial and constitutional reform worthy of Turkey. We can only realize these together with the opponent. I have already met Mr Baykal, Mr Bahceli and Mr Turk and they have promised to give support."

Emphasizing that democracy took roots in Turkey even though some people wanted to change it, Bagis said that Turkey was no more a country in which the prime ministers were hang after the military coups as 50 years ago, the books of Dostoyevsky and Kafka were withdrawn and burnt with the claim that they were "making communist propaganda", a metropolitan municipality mayor was sent to prison when he read a poem which was included in school books.

Reiterating that Turkey had progressed on the way to Europe despite the resistances; Bagis said "We are more European than ever, however we are Asian as well. We are a country of Balkans as well as a country of Middle East, and a country of Mediterranean as well as a country of Caucasus, a country of the Black Sea Region. This differentiates us from other countries. For this reason, the temples, mosques, synagogues and churches are side by side for more than 800 years."

Stating that Turkey would take important steps in the EU accession process, Bagis said some countries in Europe were against Turkey as they were aware that with its 70 million population most of which is young and dynamic, Turkey would have more representatives in the European Parliament.Resource: AA