Tag: Bagis

Turkish EU Minister Pays Visit to Assyrian Orthodox Church in Istanbul

Turkey’s State Minister and Chief Negotiator for EU talks Egemen Bagis visited Virgin Mary Assyrian Orthodox Church in Beyoglu district in Istanbul on Sunday.

Bagis said that Turkish citizens of Assyrian origin had always worked for Turkey and its development.

Bagis said that Turkey was passing through a different and brand new era and the country was getting stronger.

Turkey had the 6th largest economy in Europe and it had the potential of the fastest growing economy in Europe, he said.

“Our Assyrian brothers and sisters are also pleased with development and transformation in Turkey,” he said.

Bagis said that they would improve reform process and democratization in the country.

Metropolitan Bishop of the Assyrian Orthodox Church Yusuf Cetin said that representatives of all political parties visited the church ahead of the general elections. “But State Minister Bagis visited us two years ago. He was the first minister to visit us,” he said.

“We always pray for our country’s unity, development and for the world peace,” Cetin said.

May 17, 2011
Turkey Is Determined To Be More Democratic and Contemporary, Bagis Says

Turkish State Minister and Chief Negotiator for EU talks Egemen Bagis said Saturday that Turkey was determined to be more democratic, contemporary and prosperous.

Bagis received Saturday the President of the Executive Board of the Animal Rights Federation (HAYTAP) Ahmet Kemal Senpolat and a group of animal rights defenders at the Ortakoy Office of the Secretariat General of the European Union.

Speaking to reporters at the beginning of the meeting, Bagis said that it was high time to bring certain issues to the table, especially issues that no one dared to face.

Turkey is in a term in which animal rights are being looked at from a different perspective and I thank all the volunteers who have displayed sensitivity on this matter, Bagis said.

Every issue in Turkey is going through a transformation. We call this transformation as a country trying to reach EU standards. As a result, Turkey is determined to be more democratic, more transparent, and more prosperous. By being more transparent, we mean putting certain issues that could not be faced in the past on the table. We are in a position to end problems and bring them to the minimum point possible. We can not otherwise be a country with EU standards, be an inspiration to the peoples in our region and leave a legacy to future generations that they could be proud of, Bagis noted.

Today, we will discuss ways for cooperation on animal rights, using EU funds for animal rights and establishing standards for animal shelters, Bagis also said.

Bagis’s meeting with animal rights defenders later continued behind closed doors.

AA

March 6, 2011
Turkey Has Europe’s Most Promising Economy, Bagis Says

Turkish State Minister and Chief Negotiator for EU talks, Egemen Bagis, said Thursday that Turkey had Europe’s most promising economy, most strongest military and one of the most young populations. Speaking on Turkish private TV channel “Bugun TV” on Thursday, Egemen Bagis said that he would not let Turkey, a very strategic country, be pushed around by some EU member states as the Turkish chief negotiator.

We have taken highly important steps since I took office in harmonizing Turkey to the EU criteria. 27 new laws and around 200 regulations were adopted vis-a-vis the EU in Turkey, Bagis said.

Out of 33 chapters, 13 have been opened to negotiations with Turkey. Had there been no political obstacles, 29 chapters could have been opened to negotiations as Turkey made the necessary reforms, Bagis said.

Turkey is now a more democratic, more rich and more transparent country. Europe’s interests make it a necessity for Europe to display respect to Turkey which it deserves, Bagis also said.

AA

February 11, 2011
Bağış denies Kurds want autonomy

ANKARA – Anatolia News Agency

Turkish State Minister and chief EU negotiator Egemen Bağış has said that Kurds in Turkey had not expressed demand or expectation for autonomy.

Bağış said different cultures, religions, beliefs, ethnic identities and political views could exist in harmony in Turkey. DHA photo

Speaking on a TV program on pro-government Kanal 7 on Sunday, Bağış said differences between the Turks and Kurds stemmed from cultural richness, adding that nobody should harm national unity or feelings of brotherhood, and that everybody should preserve national integrity.

His comments came after a workshop organized by the Democratic Society Congress, or DTK, in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır called for launching a debate regarding autonomy for Turkey’s Kurds, speaking Kurdish in public institutions and installing the language as a secondary mode of communication at schools.

Bağış said different cultures, religions, beliefs, ethnic identities and political views could exist in harmony in Turkey, adding that demands for “democratic autonomy” were the efforts of some people to exploit a potentially volatile political situation.

Bağış said a political party that claimed to represent Kurds in Turkey did not even have 20 members, but the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, had nearly 60 members of Kurdish origin, adding that half the deputies in the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party, or BDP, did not even speak Kurdish.

None of the parties has the right to solely represent any ethnic group, belief or national sentiment, Bağış said. “Both this flag and the holy book are ours.”

The important thing for the AKP is peace in the nation, he said.

Regarding Turkey’s European membership negotiations, Bağış said 27 negotiation chapters have been opened, while 13 have been completed.

Turkey had not given up on negotiations, Bağış said, adding that it was a long path and Turkey was determined to stick to it, despite political obstacles.

After negotiations have been completed, Turkey would ask the public whether they wanted the nation to become an EU member or not, he said.

When reminded that the Greek Cypriot administration would take over the EU term presidency in 2012, Bağış said term presidencies did not have much of an effect on membership negotiations, so the Greek Cypriot administration’s presidency would not have a significant influence over Turkey’s accession process.

More chapters were opened to negotiations during the EU presidencies of Germany and France – who are both relatively negative towards Turkey’s EU membership – compared to the presidential terms of Spain, Belgium or Finland, which are more positive towards the Turkey’s membership, Bağış said.

Commenting on a recent attack by Greek Cypriot basketball fans on Turkish team Pınar Karşıyaka after a game played in Greek Cyprus last Tuesday, Bağış said the Greek Cypriots were trying to simplify the incident by claiming that it was hooliganism.

When 3,000 people attack between 10 to 15 people it is not a simple issue, Bağış said.

December 27, 2010
Visa Dispute Between Turkey and EU Further Colors Relations

A new dispute between Turkey and the European Union is threatening to further undermine Ankara’s remaining faith in its membership bid. The dispute centers on Brussels easing visa controls on Balkan countries, but continuing its controls on Turkish visas.

Observers say a decision by the European Union to lift most travel restrictions on Balkan countries has annoyed many Turks.

None more so than those who have to regularly apply for visas to travel to the European Union for business, like Sibel Aktas, who spoke while waiting outside the Italian consulate for a travel visa.

“Of course it is bad, we are gathering a lot of papers and together with these papers we are going to a lot of places,” she said. “So, it takes a lot of time and we spend money for some of the papers. I hope we get rid of this process.”

The EU refusal to ease visa requirements for Turkey, even though the country is applying for full membership in the bloc, has become a focal point of growing anger in Ankara. Turkey’s Minister for EU Affairs, Egemen Bagis, is crying foul.

“Well this is just another double standard that we are complaining about in the European Union,” he said. “There are fears in Turkey against the European Union and fears against Turkey in the EU. And the real underlining reason for the fears? We do not know one another enough. People usually fear countries they do not know enough about. Once you get to know them, you find out there strengths and weaknesses, then you realize there is nothing to be afraid of.”

But Turkish analysts say arguments like these are making little headway in Brussels.

According to the co-leader of the European Green Party, Daniel Cohn Bendit, even though the European Union allows visa-free travel with poor countries like Albania, it is not a case of double standards, it is a case of relative size.

“Albania is not a problem, Turkey is a big country. This is a debate I have had with the Turks,” he said. “Free travel between Turkey and Europe is an immense opening, there are fears, there are problems, the Germans for the working market is a problem. So we have to push in this direction you know.”

But frustrations are growing, especially as Turkish businessmen and truck drivers have won a series of cases in the European Court of Human Rights, which ruled a customs treaty Turkey signed with the European Union entitled Turkish businessmen to the right to visa-free travel.

Cohn Bendit says the European Union needs cooperation from Ankara if it is to stem illegal immigration. Turkey is a main transit country into the European Union for illegal migrants coming from Asia minor and Africa.

Brussels is pressing Ankara to allow illegal migrants that enter the European Union through its territory to be sent back to Turkey. Cohn Bendit says this Readmission Treaty is being billed as the price for Brussels easing restrictions.

“Turkey will sign a readmission program and Europe will ease the visa question,” he said.

Cohn Bendit says a deal is expected to be reached early next year, but analysts say such horse trading will do little to ease feelings in Ankara that there is little goodwill left toward Turkey in Brussels.

via VOA | Visa Dispute Between Turkey and EU Further Colors Relations | Middle East | English.

December 16, 2010
Bağış: Hold on Europe, Turkey is coming to rescue you

Turkey’s chief EU negotiator and State Minister Egemen Bağış, while speaking at the Danish Institute for International Studies, recalled the economic crisis in Europe and the rapidly improving Turkish economy, saying, “Hold on Europe, Turkey is coming to rescue you.”

Bağış, who is paying a three-day visit to Denmark to explore possible areas of cooperation and explain Turkey’s EU bid, underlined that the Turkish economy is very dynamic and that Europe is in need of enlarging its market for European products and energy. He explained that Turkey with its young population is a good market for such products. He also added that Turkey has several reasonable expectations from Europe: abolishing visa requirements for Turkish citizens, further cooperation in fighting against terrorism, a more constructive attitude for finding a solution to the Cyprus problem and Turkey’s representation in European Council meetings.

He noted that so far 13 chapters are open in the negotiations but 18 of them have been blocked due to the Cyprus problem.

‘The European Union needs Turkey,’ State Minister Egemen Bağış tells his counterparts in Denmark, where he is visiting to hold talks with officials. He also reiterated Turkey’s demands to Europe, including abolishing visa requirements and further assistance in fighting terrorism

“Chapters on Energy, related to energy security specifically, and another chapter on Justice-Freedom-Security, related to asylum and illegal migration, which is where we need the highest level of cooperation, cannot be opened,” he said.

Regarding further cooperation on fighting terrorism he underlined that decisive, concrete steps by Europe against Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorism can only contribute to and accelerate Turkey’s reform and further the democratic outreach process. “We need our allies to take a strong, vocal position on PKK terrorism. In this regard, we appreciate the judicial steps taken by Danish authorities against Roj TV,” Bağış stressed.

Bağış, in answer to a question about the privileged partnership offer — a proposal for a special arrangement falling short of full EU membership with Turkey, which was first proposed by Germany’s Christian Democrats and found the support of other right-wing politicians in Europe — said that they take it as an insult.

“It is an insult because it does not exist. If some of the member states give up full membership and become privileged partners then maybe we can start to discuss it, but it is immoral to offer Turkey privileged partnership,” he said.

Talking about the bilateral relations between Turkey and Denmark, he said that the relations date back to the 18th century and, as a consequence of that, there is the Turkish word, daniska, meaning “the best.” “We are hoping to bring Turkish-Danish relations to daniska,” he said.

While he was talking to a group of Turkish journalists, among them Today’s Zaman, Bağış said that, due to the presence of the PKK-affiliated Roj TV in Denmark and the cartoon crisis of 2005, when Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published 12 editorial cartoons insulting the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, relations between the two countries did face some difficulties but that he hopes the situation will change. “Maybe we acted a little bit too emotionally and we were late in coming here. In our absence Denmark has been led against Turkey, but I hope that will start to change,” he said and added that he believes Turkey and Denmark can share and shape a common future, as they did in the past.

“We share a common history and culture, much more than most of the other countries in the EU,” he said. Bağış also met with members of the Danish Parliament Foreign Relations Committee as well as Minister of the Interior Bertel Haarder. Later, he participated in the opening ceremony of Turkish Films Week in Denmark.

December 12, 2010