Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in Sharm el-Sheikh that Türkiye is pursuing nuclear energy for economic competitiveness, holding talks with the United States, Canada, Britain, and Germany on the matter. Speaking at the World Economic Forum's Middle East Meeting on Sunday, he drew a firm line between peaceful nuclear programs and nuclear weapons, which he said Türkiye categorically rejects.
Erdoğan described dialogue as a foundation rather than a destination, arguing that building genuine alliances requires moving beyond conversation. He noted that when his Justice and Development Party (AKP) took office, Türkiye faced strained relations with neighboring states, a situation he said has since been reversed through a deliberate policy of engagement.
On Iran, Erdoğan said he had spoken with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad twice in the preceding month and called for a diplomatic, political resolution to the dispute over Iran's nuclear activities. Regarding Syria, he observed that civic participation, particularly among women, has been growing.
Erdoğan also argued that linking Islam to terrorism since the September 11 attacks has caused widespread pain in Muslim communities worldwide, and called on international organizations to treat anti-Islamic discrimination with the same seriousness as anti-Semitism.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in May 2006, in its own words.