Turkish State Minister Ali Babacan addressed a reception in Brussels hosted by Ambassador Fuat Tanlay, offering an upbeat assessment of Türkiye's reform progress and its significance for European Union membership.
Babacan highlighted economic gains made over the previous four years, noting that inflation had been brought to a single digit for the first time in 34 years. He added that foreign direct investment reached 9.7 percent in 2005 and surpassed 9 billion USD in the first half of 2006 alone.
The minister argued that Türkiye's eventual accession would carry far greater weight than simply adding another member state, saying it would be "a quite important process defining the Union's future."
On the subject of critical EU progress reports, Babacan said their tone was entirely expected, since neither the European Parliament nor the European Commission produces such documents as exercises in praise. He described the reports as useful for identifying areas where Türkiye still needs to improve.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in September 2006, in its own words.