VETERINARY BORDER INSPECTION POINT OPENED IN MERSIN

Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis visited Mersin for the opening ceremony of Veterinary Border Inspection Point Directorate which is a part of EU process and in his speech there noting the importance of the EU funds, Bagis stated that one important aspect of the new projects which were to be opened was that funds had to be used effectively.

Bagis said, "This is perhaps the best answer to those who have doubts about Turkey's membership to the EU. If the EU hadn't believed that Turkey would ever be a member to the Union, it wouldn't have transferred funds which amounted to billions of euros to Turkey.

The EU has now become an instrument of development, transparency, more freedom and democracy with its schools, infrastructure projects and projects of various ministries in all provinces, districts, towns and quarters of Turkey. EU process is the most important instrument for going beyond the level of the contemporary civilizations, which is the goal Ataturk set for us. EU is the most important democratic initiative of our history of the Republic."

Indicating that they would start the food safety process with the EU, Bagis stated that they aimed to ensure that what people consume are healthier and said, "This will greatly benefit Turkey not the EU. The instructions of the Minister of Agricultural and Rural Affairs played a decisive role in the start of this chapter. I thank him."

Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis, Minister of Agricultural and Rural Affairs Mehdi Eker, AK Party Vice-Chairman Kursad Tuzmen and Head of the Delegation of the European Commission to Turkey Ambassador Marc Pierini together made the opening of Veterinary Border Inspection Point Directorate which is a part of EU process.

Source: AA