ANKARA - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that Turkey had been a bridge between eastern culture and reformist western culture in preservation of peace by preventing conflicts among civilizations throughout the history.
Erdogan spoke in the seminar on e-state held by Ankara Chamber of Industry (ASO), British Embassy in Ankara, State Planning Organization (DPT), and Turkish Informatics Association.
Prime Minister Erdogan said that Turkey was aware that it was facing opportunities any other countries in the world could not have.
''We know that countries which are determined to take joint action with Turkey are aware of these opportunities,'' Erdogan noted.
Erdogan stated that Turkey was a country which had adopted modern values of the West, which had taken its place in the modern world, and which had undertaken important roles in preservation of those values and enrichment of east-west synthesis.
Today, Turkey adopted values of the West like democracy, human rights, science and technology and turned its face to the West, Erdogan emphasized.
Erdogan said that Turkish people who are young, dynamic, open to development and determined to integrate with the West were also determined to take place among strong actors of the modern world and achieve that goal.
Turkey had an exceptional place among world countries with its strong ties and civilized relations with Turkish republics, Islam countries and its neighbors, Erdogan noted.
Emphasizing that Turkey had one big target, Erdogan said that this target was to continue its existence as a country which was socially, democratically, economically developed, where pacifist and hard-working people were living under best conditions, and which made economic and cultural contribution to humanity with its good relations with other countries.
Erdogan said that the determination of the government to continue and further improve its relations with the European Union (EU) was the indicator of its efforts to reach their target.
The government was determined to put into practice several reforms which would solve existing problems and help integration of Turkey and Turkish people with the world, Erdogan stressed.
Erdogan said that reforms in public management and economic and social policy which were issues given priority by the government were put into practice with the urgent action plan, adding that the government continued such efforts with determination.

LONG LASTING PROBLEMS OF THE COUNTRY ARE SOLVED ONE BY ONE
Erdogan said that long lasting problems in installation of macro-economic stability and in public finance were solved one by one. He said the government started to solve inflation problem with its resolved practices.
Erdogan said fight against inflation, which the government committed in its program, began to yield its results, stating that with the confidence atmosphere that was installed, they would stop inflation being a problem of the country.
Erdogan noted that the government was resolved to take every kind of measures to make Turkey take the place it deserved in globalizing world economy.
Erdogan said the government was also resolved to eliminate all economic problems and create most appropriate investment atmosphere for foreign investors and international capital by improving confidence atmosphere.
Erdogan said Foreign Capital Law, which provides important facilities to foreign investors, eliminated every kind of differences between local and foreign capital, and simplified foundation of firms.
Erdogan said, ''the new democratic steps which the government took with the 6th and 7th adjustment packages, the studies carried out in economy, is an indication of our determination to integrate with the EU, and our determination to take our rightful place in the contemporary world.''
Stressing that Turkey exerted efforts to be a member of the EU that would contribute to democratic values, and economic and cultural basis, Erdogan said Turkey had been a side or about to be a side to many programs which the EU put forth to provide cooperation among countries.
(AY-AÖ) 09.09.2003