Turkey’s dark days are in the past. Turkey has changed, stated Egemen Bagis, Turkish Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator.

The Turkey-based Sondakika news website reports that at a reception in the British Consulate in Istanbul, Minister Bagis told about positive changes in Turkey. He mentioned liturgies in Sumela Monastery in Trabzon and at the Armenian church Holy Cross on Akhtamar island. The liturgies were a most positive fact. But a sad fact is that religious services were last held there hundreds of years ago. “We should not have waited for so long to reopen the churches for services,” Bagis said. He stressed that the recent events are the best evidence of positive developments in Turkey to Europe.