TÜRKÇE
  Updated: 07/05/2016

Message by the Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Ambassador Volkan Bozkır on the occassion of 9 May Europe Day

9 May is the birthday of the idea of the European Union, which is one of the most important peace projects not just in our era but possibly in the history of humanity; and which has united the divided European continent. The declaration made 66 years ago on 9 May 1950 by Robert Schuman, then the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, has constituted the basis of the European integration, founded on peace and welfare. European Union, unique in its institutional structure as well as its cultural and normative basis, has been a source of hope and inspiration not only for peoples of Europe but also for the international society since the day of its foundation.

Türkiye, which is a part of the continent Europe and is a bridge to Asia, takes on an important role in strengthening the universal values which comprise the inviolable and inalienable fundamental human rights and solidarity between peoples in a wider region besides being a geographical tie between the two continents.

As expressed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the EU accession process is the most significant modernisation project after the proclamation of the Republic of Türkiye. Türkiye's EU accession process is tantamount to a comprehensive reform movement with political, economic and social aspects. In its EU accession process, Türkiye has realised a rapid reform process in all areas following the opening of the accession negotiations on 3 October 2005 as a result of progress in the areas of human rights, democratisation, freedom of expression and strengthening of the civil society. The Ministry for EU Affairs was established in this reform period as an institution that is exclusively responsible for the accession negotiations and the harmonisation process. Many reforms realised during the EU harmonisation process aim to increase the welfare and raise the living standards of our citizens.

A new paradigm in Türkiye-EU relations, along with the fact that common challenges such as terrorism and irregular migration cannot be overcome without Türkiye, has been further consolidated by a series of initiatives, launched by President Erdoğan’s visit to Brussels on 5-6 October 2015, and has continued with the Türkiye-EU Summits of 29 November 2015, 7 March and 18 March 2016 and finally, the European Commission’s proposal of 4 May 2016 to lift the Schengen visa applied to our citizens.

Türkiye is fully confident that its EU membership is a natural consequence of its geography and history. Türkiye is determined to promote Türkiye-EU relations, which have been intensified and gained momentum with the progress in the accession negotiations and on-going high-level dialogue mechanisms in all areas, on the basis of common interests and a common vision for future.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to respectfully commemorate those who have contributed to the European integration and Türkiye's EU accession process, and extend my best wishes to our citizens and peoples of Europe on the occasion of the 9 May Europe Day.



Updated: 07/05/2016 / Hit: 6,226