EGEMEN BAGIS MEETS WITH TURKS IN BELGIUM

Paying a visit to Beringen in order to meet with the Turks living in Belgium, Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis evaluated the agenda on the live program “Ramadan in Europe” broadcasted on TRT-Turk television channel.

Noting that Turks who arrived Europe 50 years ago had gone through many problems, Bagis said: “Thanks God, Turkish people who are living in Europe are in the position of building mosques and organizing iftar meals outdoors. Now, they learned to live in solidarity which leads them to success in many fields. But the most important of all is that, it became possible for the Turkish people living there to be elected as deputies or ministers to the regional parliament.”

Noting that there were many Turkish ministers, directors, lawyers and doctors in Europe, Bagis said: “With our 5,5 million people in Europe, we have already became a member of the EU. If we can manage to provide the young Turkish generation living in Europe with the necessary trainings and skills, then, I can say that, the next century will be ours.”

Bagis stated that, as a tax payer, citizen and a voter, Turkish people in Europe both contribute to the well being of the countries they live in and also contribute to the development of the relations between Turkey and these countries. Emphasizing that Turkish people living in Europe supported Turkey’s EU accession process, Minister Bagis said: “Each Turkish people living in Europe have become a member of the negotiation committee.”

Bagis said: “Ramadan is a great occasion to introduce our beliefs and values to other people.” Pointing to the message released by Maria Böhmer, Minister of State in the Federal Chancellery and Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees and Integration, Bagis reminded Böhmer’s words: ‘We have learned Turkish culture and how hospitable they are during the iftar meals we were invited.” Bagis said: “Even these generously prepared and served iftar meals are the occasions to realize the fact that there is no reason to live in fear of Turkish people.”

Within the framework of the program in Belgium, Bagis broke his feast with the Turkish people living there, talked to them and he also visited enterprises run by Turkish people.

Stating that Ramadan was a month in which a person should self-criticise, Bagis said: “It is of great importance for the Turkish people to realize how they were 50 years ago when they first came to Europe and how they are today. But the most important of all is how they will be 50 years later. Therefore, they should take clever steps and plan how to attain a better future.”