AK Party External Affairs Deputy Chairman and AK Party Central Executive Committee Member Suat KINIKLIOGLU, accepted a team of 20 history teachers studying European Union in their Graduate Studies at TGNA on February 18, 2010.

The team visiting the TGNA within the scope of the program organized by Friedrich Naumann Foundation and Open Society Institute was provided with information by KINIKLIOGLU about Turkey-EU relations and foreign policy initiatives of AK Party government.
KINIKLIOGLU said that Turkey’s EU membership was a political process and Turkey did not have the geopolitical patience to wait for membership for 15-20 more years. He expressed his opinions as follows:

"Turkey and EU share the same cultural interaction area. The missing element in this relationship is the lack of political modality. We used to be the weakest party in this relation with the mentality of full membership at any cost. With its increasing power and confidence in economic and political terms since 2002, Turkey’s global and regional status has changed. On the other hand, there are ongoing discussions within the European Union about self-confidence and identity while the Union illustrates signs of a narrow and introvert vision."