TURKEY NO LONGER A POOR COUNTRY, SAYS BABACAN
Hurriyet
March 24 2010
Turkey
MEMBER: The European Union cannot refer to Turkey as a poor country
and use that as a reason to deny its membership aplication, according
to Ali Babacan. AA photo
Turkey is a radically different country compared to just eight years
ago, the country’s deputy prime minister said late Tuesday.
Turkey, which has undergone a rapid political, social and economic
transformation process since 2002, has become a completely new country,
according to Ali Babacan.
"Turkey, which used to receive foreign assistance, has now started
extending assistance of between $600 million and $1 billion every
year," Babacan said during "Rising Turkey," a meeting organized by
the European Policy Center and the Confederation of Businessmen and
Industrialists of Turkey, or TUSKON, in Brussels.
"Turkey has also assumed an active role as a mediator in all
serious crises and increased its participation and efficiency in
many international platforms, particularly the United Nations,"
Babacan said.
The minister said the country was exerting efforts for democracy
and stability in many problematic countries, particularly Iraq and
Afghanistan.
Turkey proved its economic maturity during the global crisis and was
the only country among the Organisation for Economic Co-operation
and Development, or OECD, members that did not allocate Treasury
resources for its banks, Babacan said.
International organizations have forecast that Turkey will be the
highest growing country in Europe in 2010, he said, adding that
the country had made public its strategy to pull out of the crisis
and received the support of investors. Because of this, rating
organizations had elevated the country’s grade, he said.
Speaking on the sidelines of the TUSKON meeting, Babacan said Turkey,
which began an economic integration process with the European Union
after signing the Customs Union agreement, had to follow the future
of the European economy closely.
Pointing to the EU’s economic problems, Babacan noted the union has
not yet been able to implement a strategy to help it recover from
the crisis, saying, "This situation causes great uncertainty."
He said markets did not have any concerns about Turkey since the
country had carried out timely reforms and taken its budget deficit
into control due to structural measures.
Noting that the EU might naturally remain reluctant to enlarge
because of its economic and domestic problems, Babacan said Turkey’s
economic potential would help unburden the union, making accession
more appealing for Brussels.
He said the EU would have a much more positive attitude toward Turkey
as it becomes aware of the country’s possibilities for growth.
"Today, the EU cannot tell Turkey it cannot be accepted as a member
because its national income is low or because it is poor. The union
also cannot tell Turkey it will harm the union’s balance. Because,
if they say so, we will have the right to ask what they will do about
Bulgaria and Romania," Babacan said.
Babacan also held late Tuesday meetings in Brussels with European
commissioners, Antonio Tajani, who portfolio includes industry and
entrepreneurship, as well as Joaquin Almunia, who is responsible
for competition.
Belgian Finance Minister and Vice Prime Minister Didier Reynders
received Babacan, who later met European Commissioner for Economic and
Monetary Affairs Olli Rehn over dinner. Babacan discussed Turkey’s
EU accession process, Turkey’s economic reforms and its strategies
to extricate itself from the global economic crisis during the talks.
The Armenian issue
On the sidelines of the economic discussions held at the "Rising
Turkey" meeting organized by the European Policy Center and the
Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists of Turkey, or TUSKON,
the latest developments on the Armenian issue were also discussed.
With the approach of April 24, which commemorates what many term the
genocide of Ottoman Armenians in 1915, Anna Maria Corazza Bildt, a
member of the European Parliament and the spouse of Swedish Foreign
Minister Carl Bildt, expressed her unhappiness over a recent Swedish
parliamentary motion recognizing the Armenian version of the 1915
events.
Bildt said it was not the duty of politicians to write the history of
Turkey and congratulated Turkey on its recent initiatives with Armenia,
adding that a compromise between the two neighbors was important.
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan said the protocols signed
by Turkey and Armenia laid the groundwork for the establishment of a
joint history committee comprised of international scholars to deal
with the incidents of 1915.
"We are ready to face the facts to be revealed by the committee, and
Turkey is sincere and ready to normalize its relations with Armenia,"
he said.
However, the problem caused by the occupation of 20 percent of
Azerbaijan’s territory by Armenian forces should also be solved, he
said, adding that issues between Turkey and Armenia should be solved
within a package that includes Azerbaijan.