Hurriyet, Turkey
April 25 2012
French U-turn after elections, says minister
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
France's policy toward Turkey's EU accession process will change
regardless of the second round of the country's presidential
elections, European Union Minister Egemen BaÄ?ıÅ? said yesterday.
`It is not in the interest of both the Socialists and the Union for a
Popular Movement [UMP] to be against Turkey's EU membership, but it is
against France's national interest to be against Turkey's EU
membership with such strong language,' BaÄ?ıÅ? told journalists in a
press conference in Istanbul.
`All the words said during the election period, including [Nicolas]
Sarkozy's attempts to visit the so-called [Armenian] genocide monument
[for the] first time in French history at the presidential level. All
these are efforts at political exploitation, all these will be left
behind after the elections,' BaÄ?ıÅ? said.
Lifelong education through EU projects
In the press conference, BaÄ?ıÅ? also discussed the `lifelong learning
and youth programs' of his ministry's Education and Youth Programs
Center Directorate.
As many as 250,000 Turks have been to European countries to receive
education in different fields using the funds provided by the
directorate, BaÄ?ıÅ? said.
`In 2012, 55,000 people will visit EU countries for training and
experience without paying a dime. Our national agency spent 77.5
million euros in 2011 and 378.5 million euros in total for these kinds
of projects,' the minister said.
Turkey has embraced the idea of becoming an EU member under every
administration in the country's history, said BaÄ?ıÅ?.
`People who risk their lives in Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco see Turkey
as an inspirational source and they want their country to be like
Turkey. The reason for this is Turkey [is] a soft power with its
democracy and EU reforms,' BaÄ?ıÅ? said.
April/25/2012
April 25 2012
French U-turn after elections, says minister
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
France's policy toward Turkey's EU accession process will change
regardless of the second round of the country's presidential
elections, European Union Minister Egemen BaÄ?ıÅ? said yesterday.
`It is not in the interest of both the Socialists and the Union for a
Popular Movement [UMP] to be against Turkey's EU membership, but it is
against France's national interest to be against Turkey's EU
membership with such strong language,' BaÄ?ıÅ? told journalists in a
press conference in Istanbul.
`All the words said during the election period, including [Nicolas]
Sarkozy's attempts to visit the so-called [Armenian] genocide monument
[for the] first time in French history at the presidential level. All
these are efforts at political exploitation, all these will be left
behind after the elections,' BaÄ?ıÅ? said.
Lifelong education through EU projects
In the press conference, BaÄ?ıÅ? also discussed the `lifelong learning
and youth programs' of his ministry's Education and Youth Programs
Center Directorate.
As many as 250,000 Turks have been to European countries to receive
education in different fields using the funds provided by the
directorate, BaÄ?ıÅ? said.
`In 2012, 55,000 people will visit EU countries for training and
experience without paying a dime. Our national agency spent 77.5
million euros in 2011 and 378.5 million euros in total for these kinds
of projects,' the minister said.
Turkey has embraced the idea of becoming an EU member under every
administration in the country's history, said BaÄ?ıÅ?.
`People who risk their lives in Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco see Turkey
as an inspirational source and they want their country to be like
Turkey. The reason for this is Turkey [is] a soft power with its
democracy and EU reforms,' BaÄ?ıÅ? said.
April/25/2012