Babacan: "This year will test our nation"

At a conference in Istanbul yesterday, Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said that Turkey is attached to its European Union process, and added, "We'll do everything we can to continue the negotiation process." Stating that Turkish democracy successfully passed a number of tests last year, Babacan said, "We have a stronger democracy. It seems this year will also be a year of tests for Turkey. I believe our democracy will pass these successfully." Babacan also said that Turkey's reform process should continue. In related news, asked about the closure case against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Committee Co-Chair Joost Lagendijk said that this year could be a "lost" one for Turkey's EU bid, much like 2007, and so the outcome of the case concerns him.