WE ALL NEED THE MEVLANA APPROACH

The reward ceremony organized for the firms of Konya which are among 1000 biggest commerce institutions determined by Istanbul Chamber of Commerce and for the members who completed 35 years in Konya Chamber of Commerce was held with the participation of Minister for EU affairs and the Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Mehdi Eker.

In his speech at the ceremony, Minister Bagis stated that EU accession process strengthened the Turkish economy and democracy and that it contributed significantly to human rights and he also added that the EU accession process paved the way for entrepreneurship.

Stating that there shouldn't be discrimination based on religion, language and race in Turkey and in Europe, Bagis continued as follows:

"In fact, the spirit that Europe needs the most now is the spirit of Konya. The idea of embracing all that was born in Konya, the call 'come, whoever you are, come' which is a call made even to those who do not always hold fast to their repentances, is the spirit that some European leaders who express frequently the mentality 'go, whoever you are, go' need to learn the most. I am so proud of being here in Konya, in the presence of that great person who said centuries ago that there shouldn't be discrimination based on religion, language, race and political views and, with the inspiration we receive from Mevlana, I am also proud of receiving support from you, in order to pave the way for Turkey's EU membership.

Emphasizing that the EU accession process had important influences on the Turkish economy and democracy, Bagis pointed out that ten years ago in Turkey there were some issues that couldn't be discussed, but today, all different ethnical, political and religious groups could discuss their beliefs.

Source: AA