Turkish minister Bağış advises walking to EU for indigestion

ISTANBUL - Anatolia News Agency

Minister Egemen Bağış (2nd R), Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbaş (C), Estonian FM Urmas Paet (R) walk with sticks over the Bosphorus Bridge as part of walking event.

EU Minister Egemen Bağış advised those with indigestion in the European Union to take up Nordic walking, as a means of making fun of those opposed to Turkey’s membership in the union.

“Nordic walking helps digestion. I am sure Nordic walking will help those having digestion problem in the European Union. Turkey’s walk to the European Union is also very useful to the union,” said Bağış while attending an Intercontinental Nordic Walking event that took place in Istanbul May 6.

“Our walk is a belief in humanity, innocence, justice, peace, brotherhood, democracy development, and cooperation,” said Bağış referring to Turkey’s goal to enter the European Union. 

Bağış was accompanied by Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet while crossing the Bosphorus Bridge as part of the Nordic walking event, co-organized by Turkey’s European Union Ministry, Estonian Embassy to Ankara, Istanbul governorship and Istanbul Municipality.

The EU minister said Nordic walking, which has a century-old history, will be done in the center of and north to south and east to west in Istanbul. As the ministers walked from the Anatolian side of Istanbul to the European side through the Bosphorus Bridge, Bağış said this crossing of continents by Nordic walking was happening for the first time.

Walk to Brussels in peace: Turkey’s goal

Speaking at an opening ceremony on Istanbul’s Anatolian side before the start of the walk, Bağış said Turkey’s goal is to “walk to Brussels in peace, cooperation and solidarity.” He also advised those who are far from the harmony policies in the EU to “attend Nordic walk, which also necessitates harmony.” 

“Nordic walking defuses tension and cholesterol. It will help the [financial] crisis in the European Union,” said EU Minister Bağış.