Deputy PM: Turkey no longer sees itself weak

The Turkish deputy prime minister said on Sunday that Turkey did not consider itself a weak country anymore, on the contrary, it contributed to solution of global problems, Anadolu News Agency reported.

As part of his talks in Germany, Turkish State Minister & Deputy Premier Bulent Arinc addressed the Turkish community living in Cologne on Sunday.

"Turkey no longer sees itself weak. Today, we are a country that contributes to the solution process of world's problems. Turkish communities will act in more harmony with the societies they live in, besides, they will get stronger thanks to their successful activities in art, science and education," Arinc said.

The deputy premier said Turks, who had once arrived in Germany as workers, had now become employers, adding that Turkish entrepreneurs conducted business with all parts of the world nowadays.

Expressing Turkish community's desire for dual-citizenship in Germany, Arinc said Turkish authorities had displayed efforts to realize such demand and important developments would take place in near future.

Commenting on Turkish expats' right to elect and be elected in Turkey, Arinc said, "Any election in which you do not cast votes would be an incomplete election. Everybody should be able to cast votes".

Arinc noted that Turkey's Higher Board of Election (YSK) said the existing infrastructure was not ready for such implementation.

"However, there are studies on the matter and they are not completed yet. Perhaps, it will be possible to cast votes via e-mail in the upcoming elections," he said.


/Trend/