INVESTMENTS INTO DEMOCRACY

Delivering a speech in the 6th General Advisory Board Meeting of All Industrialists and Businessmen Association (TÜMSIAD) held in the Kızılcahamam district of Ankara, Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis expressed that democracy has been the most important investment made for the last 9.5 years. 

Minister Bagis said that they have taken an undiscriminatory attitude towards the investment made in democracy, tried to eliminate the obstacles to every person and attached importance to the individuals. Bagis continued his words as follows:

“You can ask the Armenian, Alevi, Jewish or Assyrian citizens in Turkey. They have been in such dialogue with the state as has never been before in the history of the Republic. Today, the remarks of Fener Greek Patriarch in Turkey on Turkishness sparked a debate even in Greece. All Greek newspapers made his remarks their headline news. After 88 years for the first time, the way to carry out religious ceremonies in Sumela Monastery by our Orthodox citizens was cleared. Also, after 112 years for the first time, our Armenian citizens could pray in Van Akdamar Church for the solidarity and unity of our country. At the same time, we put an end to the meaningless practice of using a lower coefficient to calculate the final score of the university admission, which contradicts human rights. They also wish unity and solidarity of this country in their own way.

Mentioning that Turkey has been going through a troublesome period because of the presidential elections in France, Minister Bagis said, “Unfortunately, Turkey’s membership expectations have been exploited in this election, to be followed by the Greek Cypriot EU term presidency in 2012. We think that these expectations might be exploited during their term presidency as well. However, there will be a new Europe after 2012. If Turkey keeps ensuring this synergy and collaboration by continuing to grow and promote the integration of the state and the society at the same time, a very different period will begin. Then, we will be one of the most significant actors of Europe.”