VILNIUS
Minister of European Union (UN) and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis said on Thursday that the reform process would never end in Turkey, referring to the country's EU membership process.
Speaking at the unofficial meeting of the Expansion Working Group of the Council of the European Union (COELA) held in Lithuania, Bagis asked the EU Commission to change the publication date of the Progress Report on Turkey due to it coinciding with the Feast of Sacrifice.
"This date is a religious feast in Turkey, and everyone will be on vacation. The Commission stated that the date could not be changed in spite of our warnings. I ask that you [change] it. Please ask your colleagues and the members of the commission to change the publication date when you return," Bagis said.
Reminding that Turkey's EU process had been continuing for 50 years, Bagis indicated that "prejudice" was the major obstacle Turkey faced in its EU adventure.
Stating that the reform process never ends for Turkey in the EU membership process, Bagis said, "We are working on a new democratization package. It will grant more rights to people with different faiths, cultures and ethnic backgrounds."
"We do not make reforms to please you [the EU]. And we do not care for your published reports as much as before. We know that we must undertake those reforms primarily for our own people," Bagis said.
