WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUPPORT PROJECT

In the speech he made in the closing event of "Women Entrepreneurship Support Project" which was organised by the Turkish Tradesmen's and Artisans' Confederation (TESK) in Ankara, Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis underlined the possibility that much progress could be made in economy, politics, academia and labour force in the event that women potential could be further explored.

Reminding that even though the women potential couldn't be sufficiently exploited, Turkey was now the 17th biggest economy in the world, Bagis stated that in the event that the real potential was achieved, Turkey would make a tremendous leap forward.

Noting that it lay in the genetic code, traditions and belief of Turkish people to afford women entrepreneurs opportunities, Bagis said it was vitally important that the social status of women is improved.

Bagis reminded that today the number of women deputies in the TGNA was 50 and this number was still insufficient. Indicating that they made a great effort to ensure that one out of every three persons to be a woman while they were determining the members of the Municipality Council in the elections, Bagis stated that unfortunately it was difficult for them to attain the desired numbers in some regions, but at least a process was initiated for the issue. Stating that it always made a difference in every sphere of life when the women were involved, Bagis said that this should also be experienced in the process of ruling of the society.

Indicating that EU was the common enthusiasm for the whole of the society, Bagis pointed out that the young and the women would be the ones who would benefit most from this process. Bagis stated he was hopeful that in the event that this potential could be effectively exploited, Turkish Republic would attain the target of becoming one of the 10 biggest economies in the world on its 100th anniversary.

Stating that many things which had been counted as impossible were realized during the EU process, Bagis said "There isn't a country existing in the world which enjoyed democracy and then abandoned it."

Emphasizing that he believed in the necessity of reaching to much better conditions from where Turkey was today by working together, Bagis said "We may not be in the same opinion in every issue but it is every one's duty for the next generations to put forward the accumulation of Turkey, to make cooperation in our common interests and to capture the conciliation, which is the part of European culture, within Turkey. From now on, we should quit dealing with our dressing styles, opinions, what we read, what we eat and I think we should concentrate on what we can do for our future."

While replying the questions after his speech, Bagis said the following about Turkey's EU membership:

"Turkey is continuing the accession negotiations. Any alternative apart from full membership can not even be a matter of question for Turkey. We will finalize the negotiations like many other countries that once started the negotiations. No one should be suspicious of this fact. The day we finalize the negotiations, we will go through the same processes that the states which finished the negotiations went through. But, for the time being, our target is full membership. Turkey is determined on this issue. The minister of foreign affairs of any country has the freedom of whether to lean towards Turkey's membership or not. But, on the other hand, Turkey has the determination of continuing the accession negotiations which have been initiated by the approval of 27 states. We are fully involved in our works.

Resource: AA