Bagis: "Firstly Turkish National Agency joined to the EU"

Speaking at a press conference at the Baltalimani Portex in Istanbul, Turkey’s Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis said that despite the frozen negotiation process, the EU funds have been delivered to many Turkish people thanks to Turkish National Agency, and thus their life has changed completely. Stating that theTurkish National Agency has joined the EU before Turkey, Bagıs said, "When the agency initiated its activities in 2004, its budget amounted to 11 million Euros and the number of its beneficiaries was only around 8,000, but now these figures have reached 110 million Euros and 61,000, respectively." Announcing that the target for the year 2013 was 70,000, Bagıs said that in order to remove prejudices on both sides, the role played by 300,000 beneficiaries through their visits to EU-member countries was transformative, adding that the Turkish National Agency also attract attention by providing people with financial opportunities so that their dream to visit and learn foreign cultures and countries come true. Bagis also defined the Turkish National Agency as the most comprehensive charitable trust of Turkey. People from all layers of society and ages seize the opportunity of monitoring proper EU funds and projects for their own benefit.