TURKEY IS A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION FOR MANY COUNTRIES
Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis said, "Turkey, which has managed to get Islamic culture and democratic culture living together is a source of inspiration for many countries".
Speaking at a conference titled "Latest developments in EU process and the effects of tourism to the process" which was held at Ege University Cesme Tourism School in Cesme district in Izmir where he came to make various contacts and do the openings, Bagis said that Turkey had quarrels with its neighbours until a short time before, but as of today considerable progress was made in these relations.
Informing the students about the foreign policy of the country, Bagis expressed that Turkey couldn't manage to be a member of the UN Security Council for 47-years but this happened today when it got 152 votes out of 191 votes thanks to its successful foreign policy.
Noting that Turkey managed to get support from 8 out of every 10 voting countries, Bagis continued to say,
"Turkey will be amongst the members of the UN Security Council, which is the most important and most comprehensive decision-making authority in the world in years 2009 and 2010. It means that world countries say, "come and solve our problems, problems which we can't solve ourselves". As we acted as a mediatorbetween Georgia and Russia and Israel and Syria and we brought together in the last 7 years the leaders of quarrelling countries, we are requested to propose solutions to crises in the world in the Security Council. It means that the same Council which called us invader in Cyprus says "come and lead us, let us solve crises together".
Reminding that EU process had lasted for 50 years, Minister Bagis declared, "This work should not have lasted for 50 years, but the impression I got from every talk I had with people so far is that EU considers us a common enthusiasm and bright future. If Anatolia is enthusiastic about something, it surely succeeds in that particular thing. Now in Turkey I observe the same enthusiasm for the EU".
Emphasizing that tourism had also great significance in EU process, Bagis said "If every single European comes to Turkey just for two hours, believe that, Turkey's EU membership will suddenly speed up."
Informing that they were rapidly proceeding towards a solution regarding the Cyprus issue and adding that TRNC President Talat and Dimitris Hristofyas, the President of the Republic of Cyprus, had met 15-16 times during the last month, Egemen Bagis stated that questions would be asked to public during the negotiations like it had been in the Annan Plan and added that important steps would be taken with respect to fulfilling the promises which had been given to Turkish Cypriots previously.