Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Tuesday that the Developing-8 (D-8) grouping had accomplished little in its nine years of existence but would gain new energy through structural reforms. He spoke at a parliamentary gathering of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), briefing members on two recent summits he had attended.
Addressing the D-8's 5th summit in Indonesia, Erdoğan said all eight member states reaffirmed their commitment to deeper cooperation. He argued that trade among member nations remained well short of its potential and called for updated foreign policy frameworks, alignment with global capital norms, and stronger protections for freedom of thought and religion.
Erdoğan described Türkiye as a bridge between developing nations and the broader global system, noting that its EU accession talks gave it a distinctive role within the D-8. He expressed confidence that the organization would become more active once its institutional structure was complete.
The prime minister also outlined an upcoming travel schedule, including the World Economic Forum in Egypt, a visit to Algeria to explore expanding bilateral trade, and a trip to Germany for a Turkish-German Chamber of Commerce meeting, where he expected to hold talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in May 2006, in its own words.