"TURKEY IS THE MOST WESTERN COUNTRY IN THE ORIENT AND THE MOST ORIENTAL COUNTRY IN THE WEST"

Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis addressing the businessmen in Izmir Ataturk Industrial Zone, indicated that Turkey was passing through an important process and significant developments occurred in Turkey in this period. Bagis continued:

"Turkey now is not the same country with the one where the prime minister was executed after a military coup 50 years ago anymore. It is not a country where the books of Kafka or Dostoyevsky are collected as 30 years before either. It is not the country where the mayor of the biggest city was jailed for reading a poem 10 years ago anymore."

Stating that, "Turkey is the most western country in the orient and the most oriental country in the west," Bagis said:

"We have said for centuries that we were the bridge between the West and the Orient, but we attached more importance to the West. However, in order to have a strong bridge which really provides the connection between civilizations through communication, transportation and dialogue, it should have strong piers on both sides. In nowhere in the world a bridge, the piers on one side of which are weak cannot be called a sound one. Thus, we undertook the position of Secretariat General of the Organization of Islamic Conference in the same year when we started the EU negotiations."

Bagis, later on came together at lunch with the representatives of the organizations of the businessmen and industrialists in Karsiyaka district. Bagis asked for their support to Taha Aksoy, his party's candidate mayor for İzmir and Cenk Kerece, the candidate mayor for Karsiyaka.

Bagis came together with the members of the party in the Bayraklı Election Coordination Office during his visit to Izmir. Mentioning Erdogan's speech at Davos, Bagis went on his speech as follows:

"But now we have come to such a point that, today how many leaders dare to say just before the world "You won't kill". After thirty minutes of these words, he received a reply from the person as "Sir, I have a great respect for you." How many leaders are there daring to say "The king is naked", "You are wrong". If people in the East, in the West, in Brussels, in Damascus, in Moscow, in Paris, in New York, in Peking respect Turkey today, If Turkey has become a country with good reputation this is due to our standing soundly. We never became defied but our nations' custodial was always a priority to us. We undertook the task of guarding your honor. We have always shouldered your custodial, the responsibility of national will. We never forget the fact that 70 million citizens will be held responsible for our wrong behavior. Aware of this fact, we guard your rights in the best way."

Bagis also wanted support for Selim Gokdemir, AK Party Bayrakli Mayor candidate.

Resource: AA