Azerbaijan, Baku, March 10 /Trend/
Turkish State Minister and Chief Negotiator for European Union (EU) talks Egemen Bagis said Thursday that no European Parliament (EP) report on Turkey to date has been balanced, Anadolu News Agency reported.
Speaking to reporters following a working breakfast with European Ombudsman Nikiforos Diamandouros in Istanbul, Bagis said that the latest report accepted by the EP is neither balanced nor is based on facts.
The EP report should not be taken seriously, Bagis stressed.
Touching on his meeting with Diamandouros, Bagis said that Diamandouros was not merely an important ombudsman in the EU but also a real friend of Turkey.
Diamandouros has made crucial contributions to Turkey's EU process, Bagis underlined.
Diamandouros follows Turkey closely. Diamandouros has made important contributions to the preparation of a law on ombudsmanship in Turkey, Bagis said.
Today, we have received the views of Diamandouros on the draft law on ombudsmanship at the Turkish Parliament and his thoughts on the experiences of EU member countries, Bagis said.
We also had a chance to evaluate the unfair treatment Turkish citizens face when it comes to the issue of visas in the EU, Bagis added.
Nikiforos Diamandouros, in his part, said that Istanbul was among the world cities that he loved most.
I am thankful to Mr. Bagis for coming together for the second time. I am grateful to Bagis for letting me share my views on ombudsmanship in Turkey, Diamandouros said.
I hope that ombudsmanship in Turkey gets established soon. I also hope that an ombudsman from Turkey will serve in the EU, Diamandouros also said.