Turkish minister makes trade calls for Islamic countries, slams EU

ISTANBUL - Anadolu Agency

Turkish Economy Minister Zafer Çağlayan (L) and EU Minister Egemen Bağış attend the 4th International Young Businessmen Congress. AA photo

The Turkish Economy Minister Zafer Çağlayan called the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to enhance trade and join forces during a meeting, while he criticized the European Union that “didn’t accept Turkey as a member and required visa.”

Çağlayan stated the commercial obstacles between Turkey and member countries should be removed. “I’d like to make a call to the 57 members of the OIC; let’s raise our trade and join forces,” Çağlayan said at the 4th International Young Businessmen Congress organized by the Independent Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (MÜSİAD) on Dec. 6.

However, Çağlayan said while the EU continued its unethical visa policy and tortured the business world, nobody was capable to prevent Turkey from developing. The EU says Turkey is not a member and that is why they require visa from Turkey, he said. “If Turkey still can’t become an EU member despite our efforts, this is the EU’s shame, not ours. The EU, which commits this shame today, does not allow full-membership and leaves us with visa obstacle and should be aware of the new Turkey
Speaking at the same event, the EU Minister Egemen Bağış recalled that Turkey and the EU have recently taken steps to lift the visa requirements.

Turkey and the European Union have agreed to sign the much-anticipated Readmission Agreement on Dec. 16 in Ankara in return for launching the visa liberalization talks for Turkish citizens, after nearly two years of arduous negotiations. The decision to sign the Readmission Agreement was announced in Brussels on Dec. 4.

Bağış stated this process that will lift visa requirements was a result of businessmen, businessmen associations, the economy minister and all related institutions’ years-long efforts. “But you can be sure that, the architect of the visa liberalization process is our Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan,” he noted.