Babacan: "Turkey needs a swift mentality"

Turkey has been somewhat cushioned from the global economic crisis by its adoption of European Union criteria, said Foreign Minister Ali Babacan yesterday. Babacan made the remarks at a ceremony inaugurating a European Union Business Development Center attended by Industry and Trade Minister Zafer Caglayan and European Commission Vice President Guenter Verheugen. "If the EU criteria aren't applied, whatever program you apply, Turkey can't reach that level," he said. Stressing the importance of implementing the EU criteria, Babacan added that Turkey needs a swift mentality, and has to begin an economic, political and social transformation. Stating that the final stage in the national program has been reached, he urged that the program not be sacrificed to political concerns.