OXFORD - Guler Sabanci, chairperson of Turkish conglomerate Sabanci Holding, said Turkey has achieved a lot over the past five years regarding its EU process and added that "there is no reason to think that Turkey's EU process was derailed."
Sabanci delivered a speech on Tuesday at a conference entitled "Bridging Worlds" organized by Oxford University.
"If Europe can predict 50-60 years ahead, it would be easier for the continent to integrate Turkey. Turkey would help Europe look at the world from a wider perspective," Sabanci told the conference.
Upon a question about a decline in public support in Turkey regarding EU membership, Sabanci said some surveys indicated it recently, however, she said slowdown could be a result of election and security issues dominating in Turkey over the past months.
"But Turkey must not change its direction," she affirmed. "And Europe will eventually discover the opportunity at the other side of the bridge."
Asked about headscarf issue in Turkey, Sabanci said 40 percent of Turkish university students are female.
"The question is quite simple and direct in one aspect, and quite complex in the other," Sabanci said.
"When you look at the issue from the eyes of a young girl at university, the question is simple and direct. On the other hand, 30 percent of the population fear that headscarf may enter public institutions as a result of such freedom. Government officials have to consider these concerns in a democratic country," she added.