WASHINGTON
Turkey's Minister of EU and chief negotiator Egemen Bagis said on Thursday that the interest, excitement and curiosity in the US towards Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan demonstrated Turkey's process of becoming a global power.
Bagis told AA in the US that a Turkish prime minister was hosted by head of state greeting protocol for the first time in history adding, "it is only Turkey today on all the streets of Washington. There is the excitement of hosting a Turkish prime minister as well as a world leader here."
Complaining that it was impossible to gather 90 Turks living in US in the past, Bagis said, "now we are here in US together with 90 Turkish businessmen. That is why I feel grateful to our prime minister."
Bagis pointed out Turkey's paying off IMF debts and stated that Turkey, after 50 years' time, was in the US without any debt to IMF.
Reminding that former Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit had once went to White House in Washington and met with US President Bill Clinton, Bagis said "unfortunately, however, I cannot forget the picture of him with Clinton. It was not a picture of him, not related to his personality. It was the picture of Turkey those days. But today, a Turkish prime minister was hosted with such a greeting protocol for the first time in history."
Bagis stated there was no concept of "transoceanic" for Turkey anymore, noting, "there is the whole world for Turkey now. We would like to embrace the world all together."
Reminding the newly built Turkish-American Culture & Civilization Center Bagis said, "The center will not only be a place where the hearts of Muslims beat or a symbol of Turkey in the US but also be a signature of Turkey's global vision."
