Parliament Speaker Touts Türkiye's EU Bid at Joint Commission Dinner

Turkish Parliament Speaker Bülent Arınç hosted members of the Türkiye-EU Joint Parliamentary Commission (JPC) for a dinner at the State Guesthouse in Ankara on Wednesday.

In his remarks, Arınç said Türkiye remains committed to the reform process required for EU accession. He identified terrorism, regional conflicts, poverty, hunger, and disease as the primary threats facing the world today, arguing that Europe has the tools to address them.

Arınç said Türkiye's membership would extend the EU's reach into the Middle East, Caucasus, Central Asia, the Balkans, and Africa, and would also strengthen ties between Muslim and Christian communities. He argued that a predominantly Muslim country joining the EU as an equal partner would benefit both sides.

JPC Co-Chairman Joost Lagendijk said the Alliance of Civilizations initiative could improve Muslim-Christian dialogue. He also cited a report prepared for the Dutch government that identified multiple benefits Türkiye's EU membership would bring to the bloc.

Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in May 2006, in its own words.