Bagis urges Israel to respect people living in the region

Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis yesterday attended a conference entitled "East-West Relations, a Changing Arab World and Turkey" which was jointly organized by the Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (MUSIAD) and Economic Development Organization (IKV) at the European Parliament in Brussels. Speaking at the conference, Bagis criticized Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for carrying out a bloody crackdown on uprisings against his rule. "This violence is unacceptable anywhere in the world. The international public should make efforts to cooperate with Turkey to give an end to this violence." Touching upon the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Bagis said that it was ridiculous for Israel to expect to have prosperous relations with countries in the region after killing nine citizens of Turkey in the raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla in May 2010. Bagis added that it was in Israel's interest to respect the people in the region and to live in peace. In reply to a question asked by Turkish people living in Belgium about Turkey's EU membership bid, Bagis said, "Today there might be certain problems within the EU, but this is the leading region all over the world in terms of income per capita. That's why you live here.  The EU is a union of values, as well as the most comprehensive peace project throughout the human history. Turkey's EU membership process would globalize this continental peace project, just like the British, French and German People who have been fought with each other in the past are now capable of living side by side in a peaceful way. That's why we want to become an EU member."