BAGIS SAYS DEVELOPING TIES WITH ARMENIA IS IMPORTANT
Today’s Zaman
Feb 25 2009
Turkey
State Minister and chief EU negotiator Egemen BagıÅ~_ has said that
Turkey attaches importance to developing ties with Armenia within the
scope of the country’s policy of friendly relations with its neighbors.
"In this respect, we see the Armenian community in Turkey as an
essential vehicle for this strategy," he said at a meeting at the
Private Pangaltı Armenian School with administrators, directors and
other representatives of schools run by Armenian minority foundations
in Ä°stanbul.
BagıÅ~_ gave a speech thanking everyone for a warm welcome and saying
that he brought Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s good wishes
to them. "For centuries, we have shared our bread and water in these
lands. We have been together in our good and bad days," he added.
Recalling that he was appointed the chief EU negotiator for Turkey
on Jan. 8, BagıÅ~_ said: "Today, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has become
not only the prime minister of Turkey, but also the voice of the
conscience of the world. We attach great importance to developing
relations with Armenia as part of our policy for having good ties
with our neighbors. We know that Turkey has increased its foreign
trade with its neighbors 400-fold. We seek to improve political,
economic and social relations with Armenia. Recent developments are
reinforcing our hopes. I am hopeful. We see the Armenian community
in Turkey as an important bridge in this respect because there are
many contributions you can make to this friendship."
Minister BagıÅ~_ noted that hatred and animosity cannot
continue forever, as the two nations have lived in peace for many
years. "Whenever we cooperated with common enthusiasm and common
desires, we all won. Now we share common enthusiasm and common desires
once again. This common enthusiasm is EU membership," he said.