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Balkan Political Club started its studies in Sofia with its tenth meeting.

From Turkey, 9th President of Turkish Republic (H.E) Süleyman Demirel, President of The Marmara Group Foundation Dr. Akkan Suver, Secretary General Engin Köklüçınar, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs (H.E) Murat Karayalçın attended the meeting and 24 countries discussed the future of European Union and Eurasia.

In the picture, you see, Dr. Akkan Suver giving his speech in Balkan Political Club.

Below there is Dr. Akkan SUVER’s speech text:

H.E. President Süleyman Demiral,

H.E. President Zhelyu Zhelev,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Distinguished Guests,

I am honored to be at your presence on behalf of Marmara Group Foundation which represents Turkey in the United Nations, in OSCE, in UNESCO, Black Sea Economic Cooperation and World Azerbaijani Forum and the Balkan Political Club.

The Marmara Group Foundation is celebrating its twenty second year.

With its non- governmental organization identity, for ten years, The Marmara Group Foundation has been organizing projects to provide peace and prosperity. One of these peace and prosperity projects is the Eurasian Economic Summit.

Today’s Eurasia Economic Summits are the end-results of Great Atatürk’s heritage to us, the testament of which is his philosophy of “Peace at home, peace on the world. Eurasia Economic Summits are projects of peace; they are projects of wealth and sharing. Such projects may yield us future horizons and entities such as the EU, NAFTA, APEC or the ASEAN.

One of the leaders of this project is the Balkan Political Club. Throughout the years the Balkan Political Club and at most is President H.E. Zhelyu Zhelev, its Members H.E. Süleyman Demirel, H.E. Hikmet Çetin, H.E. Emil Constanstinescu, H.E. Ion Iliescu, H.E. Mladen Ivanic, H.E. Georges Papandreu, H.E. Constantin Grigorie have always been a supporter and participant of the Eurasian Economic Summits and have never left us alone. In your presence, I would like to thank them all with all my respect.

The Marmara Group Foundation’s approach to Eurasian Economic Summits is for the harmony and prosperity in the region. Our fund’s purpose is bringing stability to the Caucasus, securing permanent peace in the Balkans and finding long-term, sustainable solutions to the problems facing the Middle East.

Our efforts for sustainable and lasting cooperation among regional states in the energy and economy fields already form an exemplary picture.

The geography of Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan bears all the signs of friendship, which can enormously contribute to the stability of the region. Coupled with the friendship and cooperation among Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia, imagine what an extraordinary demonstration of unity may be realized.

On the other hand, the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran, with the participation of Armenia, are working to form a new energy entity. These activities may be interpreted as work by Russia and Iran to help Armenia not to be isolated from common wealth producing and wealth sharing efforts among Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia. It would have been a much more fruitful and realistic policy on the other hand, if these two states helped Armenia to find the right path and divert herself from her ambition to be a mono-state.

Turkey, with her regional partners and with the participation of her sixteen billion dollar private sector investment potential, is working on mega projects conducive to building wealth, peace and stability in the Caucasus, the Middle East and the Balkans.

These projects will open new horizons for wealth and prosperity in the future of Eurasia. Another such project has been launched by Turkey fifteen years ago, is the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization and this project is celebrating its fifteenth year. The Marmara Group Foundation is an observer member of the Parliamentary Assembly of that Organization. We have taken our place in this organization with the belief of, not only the peace and security of the region but also the idea of sharing the wealth of future all together.

And considering this meeting as an opportunity, before your high presence, I would like to say some words about European Union as well. European Union is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Today’s EU is unfortunately following an unharmonious path, devoid of justice and equilibrium in shaping its future.

Turkey is one hundred percent faithful to the European Union criteria. On the other hand, the European Union tends to demonstrate a double standard towards the Turkish approach. In this vein, I have to underline that any approach short of full membership for Turkey is contrary to the European “droit acquis”, and can only be defined as “segregation”. Such policies will only distance the Turkish public opinion from the European philosophy.

As a founding member of Turkey’s “Yes to the EU Platform”, I say this: If Turkey has entered the EU negotiations; its sole objective is full membership. Nothing else can be a response or solution for the future of Turkey and the EU. If the current discrimination is not discontinued, the importance of the European identity for the Turkish people may simply evaporate. It has to be remembered that our neighbors are also attributing utmost care and attention to Turkey’s relations with the EU.

The basis of our involvement with this organization is our firm belief that the Black Sea Region Economic Cooperation Organization will not only contribute to the peace and stability in the region, but also will bring immense amount of new wealth and prosperity to be equitably shared among its participants.

Honorable guests, I take this occasion to express that Eurasian Economic Union could be a union of opportunities. It could be a mean for peace and wealth for the people of the region. In this occasion I would like to remind that Eurasia is a center of prestige and attraction. We should keep this in mind.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I strongly believe that this meeting which has been realized by the Balkan Political Club enhances economic cooperation between the countries in the region.

Hoping that this initiative would form new models for our future, again I congratulate our friends who took part in this effort and greet you all with respect.
Especially H.E. Zhelyu Zhelev

The decisions that are taken as a result of Balkan Political Club are mentioned below:

Statement of the General Assembly of the Balkan Political Club

The session of the General Assembly of the Balkan Political Club held at the end of the 10th International Conference of the Club "The Balkan Political Club : Platform for Bi-regional Co-operation" (Sofia, 5-6 October 2007)

Recognized that

- For the Balkan Political Club the integration of the Western Balkans and Turkey in the European Union is not a question of whether or not but rather when and how ;

- The international responsibilities of the European Union begin in its immediate geographical vicinity, i.e. the Western Balkans, but also Turkey and the wider Black Sea including South Caucasus ;

the growing complexity of the decision-making in the enlarged and further enlarging Union will demand in its different parts, namely in the Balkan region, even more efforts for making concrete local steps in the process of stabilization, economic development and institutional improvements thus implying enhanced responsibility and initiative on every level of governance ;

- the strengthening and enriching of the dialogue between the Balkan region and the region of South Caucasus, as a concrete implementation of the principles of the new European neighbourhood policy, could and should be a domain of intensive efforts and collaboration among European, and national governmental and non-governmental organizations ;

- the necessity of looking for synergies among many various regional, European and global initiatives aiming at creation of positive dynamics in both regions, and in the region of wider Black Se ais becoming a top priority for the coming years ; the most promising domains for synergetic actions are : consolidation of the democratic institutions and practices , enhancement of the security, environment protection, reasonable exploitation and transportation of the energy resources, construction of classical and electronic communication infrastructures, the scientific co-operation

Based on this analysis, the General Assembly

Declares that,

- the bi-regional co-operation among appropriate non-governmental organizations should be a conditio sine qua non for the realization of the goals listed above ;

- the Balkan Political Club expresses its will and readiness to participate in the concrete development and implementation of the principles of the new European neighbourhood policy by practical steps aiming at developing further the Club’s relations with the countries of Southern Caucasus (Armenian,Azerbaijan,Georgia) ;

- the Balkan Political Club will collaborate in the solving of infrastructural problems impeding the free flow of goods and persons within and between the two regions ;

- the Balkan Political Club will lobby for the simplification of visas regime on reciprocal bases ;

- the Balkan Political Club will work in favour of networking the research and education institutes in both regions ;

- the Balkan Political Club will explore the means by which the bi-regional co-operation should develop further helping South Caucasian region to increase its capacity for interna land external partnerships.

Sofia, 6 October 2007