Anadolu Agency, Turkey
March 13 2009
Turkish minister says European parliament report affirms EU accession
process
Istanbul, 13 March: Turkish State Minister and Chief Negotiator for EU
talks Egemen Bagis said Friday [13 March] the adoption of a report on
Turkey by 528 European Parliament (EP) deputies is an affirmation of
Turkey’s accession process.
Speaking to reporters at Istanbul’s Ataturk International Airport
after a trip to the Czech Republic, Bagis said that the EP report is
overall a balanced one.
Compared to the previous years, the EP report is more constructive and
makes a call to strengthen Turkey’s efforts for full membership to the
EU, Bagis said.
"The absence of Armenian allegations on the incidents of 1915 in the
report and a clear referral to PKK [Kurdistan Workers’ Party] as a
terrorist organization within the report are very important. The EP
report is the joint report of 27 EU countries representing eight
different political parties and it is a balanced one," Bagis said.
In reference to a question on the upcoming visit of US President
Barack Obama to Turkey, Bagis said that this visit is an indication of
where Turkey has come globally.
"Turkey is not merely a member of the UN Security Council. It is a
country that continues negotiations with the EU and runs the
Secretariat General of the Organization of Islamic Conference. The
fact that Turkey has become a country that is consulted with in global
matters should be a matter of pride for all of us," Bagis said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Disclaimer: This article was contributed and translated into English by Emil Lazarian. While we strive for quality, the views and accuracy of the content remain the responsibility of the contributor. Please verify all facts independently before reposting or citing.
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