EU PROCESS IS RETURN TO CULTURAL ORIGINS FOR TURKEY

PanARMENIAN.NET
09.09.2009 15:32 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkish State Minister and Chief Negotiator for EU
Talks Egemen Bagis said on Tuesday that the EU process is a return
to cultural origins for Turkey.

The 17th EU Reform Follow-up Committee meeting was held in the northern
province of Trabzon with the participation of Bagis, Interior Minister
Besir Atalay, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Justice Minister
Sadullah Ergin.

Speaking to reporters during the gathering, Bagis said that reforms
on human rights, democracy and rule of law are important elements of
Turkey’s EU membership process.

"However, these reforms should not be solely considered within the
context of EU membership," Bagis said, noting that such reforms aimed
at improving the living standards of Turkish citizens.

"EU process is in fact a return to our cultural origins. While we
are proceeding on the way to EU, we are also returning to ourselves,"
Bagis said, Today’s Zaman reported.