MINISTER FOR EU AFFAIRS AND CHIEF NEGOTIATOR EGEMEN BAGIS ATTENDED THE 61ST MEETING OF JOINT EU-TURKEY PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE IN BRUSSELS

Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis, who attended the 61st meeting of Joint EU-Turkey Parliamentary Committee in Brussels which lasted for 3 days, held a press conference at Ataturk Airport and stated that he made his 4th visit to Brussels in the last two and a half months after taking office and that they were proceeding with the contacts aimed at progressing EU membership process pertinaciously.

Noting that he began his meetings in Brussels with the President of the European Parliament, Bagis said that support for Turkey's membership to the EU was continuing and expectations towards the acceleration of the reform process were expressed during these meetings.

Stating that he expressed his government's determination to accelerate the reforms in EU membership process during these meeting, Bagis indicated that he stressed their resolution to take the necessary steps on this issue in cooperation with the opposition parties.

Reminding that he delivered a speech in the 61st meeting of Joint EU-Turkey Parliamentary Committee, Bagis noted that he also met with Martin Schulz, Chairman of Socialist Group in the European Parliament (EP) and Schulz told him that his support for Turkey's membership to the EU was continuing.

Stating that he welcomed warmly the Socialist Group's, CHP's support for EU membership, Bagis said that he had met, within the scope of his contacts, Jasques Barrot, the vice president of the EU Commission responsible for justice, freedom and security; Jan Figel, member of the EU Commission responsible for education and culture; Mariann Fischer Boel, member of the EU Commission responsible for agriculture and rural development; Stavros Dimas, member of the EU Commission responsible for environment and Joe Borg, member of the EU Commission responsible for the fisheries.

Bagis stated that, in the meeting, they had exchanged ideas about Turkey's relations with EU, positions that were reached in the chapters and the steps planned to be taken. Bagis said that, in his meeting with Jasques Barrot they had requested the necessary steps to be taken regarding the urgent implementation of the decision taken by the European Court of Justice on the visa issue.

Bagis said "Within the scope of this decision, we emphasized our demands related to the provision of the necessary infrastructure which will ensure the entrance of not only our truck drivers but also our businessmen, sportsmen, artists and academicians to the EU member states without visa."Resource: AA