Turkey determined on EU accession despite Europeans’ mistaken approach, minister says

ANKARA

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu delivers the opening speech at the 7th Annual Ambassadors’ Conference in Ankara. AA Photo

The European Union “mistakenly approaches Turkey based on prejudices” but Ankara is continuing its integration with European institutions with determination, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has said.

“We see the mistaken approach of our European friends to Turkey based on prejudices, which leads to unfair practices. While we reject these narrow-minded approaches, we are working on steps that will help us to regain excitement for EU membership,” Çavuşoğlu said on Jan. 5.

Delivering the opening speech at the 7th Annual Ambassadors’ Conference in Ankara, he added that Turkey “does not have the luxury” of “sitting back and watching the rapid changes that are sweeping the region and the world.”

Turkish diplomacy is “fair, peaceful and people-oriented” and continues to be shaped by the founder of the Turkish Republic Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s principle of “peace at home, peace in the world,” Çavuşoğlu said, adding that Turkey has high-level cooperation council mechanisms with 18 countries.

A total of 67 oversees visits were performed in 2014 at the level of the Presidency, the Prime Ministry and the Foreign Ministry, he said, noting that Turkey had become “the sixth biggest diplomatic power in the world, with 228 foreign representatives.” Istanbul has become the city in the world with the second highest number of consulates-general in it, after New York, he also added.

Touching on the ongoing crisis in Syria, Çavuşoğlu once again repeated Ankara’s call for a safe zone and no-flight zone in Syria to prevent a new wave of migrants coming to Turkey.

Meanwhile, as part of campaign highlighting the 100th year of the Çanakkale (Dardanelles) campaign during the First World War, Çavuşoğlu is planning a one-day visit to the northwestern province of Çanakkale on Jan. 9, as part of the annual Ambassadors Conference.