CALLING FOR VIOLENCE AGAINST TURKEY, ROJ TV SHOULD BE SILENCED

Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis paid an official visit to Denmark in order to address the issues relating to the agenda. Various issues ranging from Roj TV and PKK terrorism, to Turkey’s EU membership and racism were discussed during the talks held in Danish capital of Copenhagen.

Minister Bagis met with the Minister for European Affairs, Nicolai Wammen, the Chairman of Denmark’s Parliament, Mogens Lykketoft and the Minister for Economic Affairs and the Interior, Margrethe Vestager. During these meetings Bagis expressed Turkey’s sensitivity about Roj TV.

Minister Bagis said, “We brought Roj TV into question and expressed our sensitivity about this issue. We now expect independent Danish judiciary to make a fair decision. Of course we have no intention of interfering in an ongoing legal process. We only expect that the justice will be done. We expect that the Europe will not allow the broadcasts making calls for violence against Turkey. We expect that the means of media will not become an instrument of terrorism. I hope that the case will be swiftly concluded by the independent Danish judiciary. I observe that they also share this hope of us.”

Minister Bagis participated as a speaker to the conference titled “EU-Turkey Relations and the Danish Presidency” held jointly by European Movement and Global Political Trends Center of Istanbul Kultur University. During the conference, Bagis replied the question of a Greek Cypriot diplomat on why Turkey does not withdraw its military forces from the island, by reminding him that the Greek Cypriot part rejected the “Annan Plan”.

Since Denmark will be the next EU term president in January, Minister Bagis expressed Turkey’s expectations during his speech and said that one of the expectations of Turkey was about the visa issue.