EU ACCESSION PROCESS MAKES GREAT CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR DEMOCRACY

Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis said: "Military coups, attacks targeting our democracy, violations of human rights and execution of youngsters have become the barriers which prevented Turkey from reaching EU standards. Thank God, we are in a very different period in Turkey today."

Egemen Bagis, together with Sadullah Ergin, the minister of justice, attended the publicity meeting of the Project "Municipalities Preparing for the EU" held at Ottoman Palace in Hatay by the Turkish Union of Municipalities. In his speech, Bagis indicated that the EU accession process made great contributions to democracy in Turkey.

Egemen Bagis stated that they made efforts to reach a better position in the process for the accession of Turkey to the EU which is the greatest peace project in history so as to make Turkey a more democratic, transparent, prestigious country where people are at peace with each other.

Indicating that the EU accession process was not an issue which only concerneds the central government anymore, Bagis said that the municipalities also had to be active in the process and that they took steps in that direction.

Stating that they were determined to make reforms and increase the standards of the citizens, Bagis said: "As long as we control this process with patience and strategically then, I believe, the EU will make efforts to convince Turkey to be a member state."

Bagis said that the increase in the living standards of the citizens was as important as opening new Chapters to negotiations and continued as follows: "When we consider the progress that Turkey made in 8 years it is seen that the most important driving forces behind the development in the fields of economy, human rights and municipal services are the EU reforms and the EU accession process. That is why we should attend to this process all together."