Belgian Environment Minister Says Brussels Supports Turkey's E.U. Bid

EMIRDAG - Belgium supports Turkey's European Union (EU) membership, Belgian Environment Minister Emir Kir said on Tuesday.
Speaking to the A.A correspondent during a visit to his fatherland Emirdag town in Turkey's western province of Afyon, Kir said that there had been an emigration wave going on from Turkey to many European countries, which started nearly forty years ago.
Children of many of those Turkish emigrants were born in those European countries and they adapted themselves to the EU with their education and culture, he said.
Stressing that Turks living in Belgium constituted an important bridge between Turkey and Belgium, Kir said, ''Belgium backs Turkey's EU bid. As everybody should know, Belgium's foreign policy about this matter is very clear. And it is a very good news for Turkey. Belgium has always stood by Turkey and I hope that it would do so in the future.''
(MS-ULG) 27.07.2004