ANKARA - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that they took brave and determined steps in foreign policy to increase the credit of Turkey and added that Turkey was closer to the European Union (EU) target more than ever.
Addressing the First Regular Congress of his party, Erdogan said that legal arrangements were made not with the coercion of EU, but for Turkish people`s using their rights at highest level and he added that democratic rights would not be withheld from any citizen.
Touching on developments about Iraq, Erdogan said that Turkey had been carrying out a policy on restoring peace without war in Iraq from the beginning. He added that however sincere efforts and insistence for peace did not bring the desired result.
Erdogan said that there were difficulties caused by war in Iraq at the moment and added that Turkey should undertake its responsibility to overcome the difficulties and bring peace and stability to Iraq. He said that if Turkish soldiers would go to Iraq, it would be for humanitarian and peaceful aims.
Evaluating the developments in the Middle East, Erdogan said that besides the problem in Iraq, clashes in the Middle East should rapidly leave its place to peace.
Erdogan said that one of the problems was Cyprus issue and added that they directed towards a sincere solution in Cyprus. Noting that they would not make concessions from existence of Turkish Cypriots for not interrupting negotiation process, Erdogan said that however, they stressed that Turkish Cypriots should be the side which would ease the solution and show its determination.
Erdogan said that they expected a response from Greek Cypriot side for the steps taken by Turkish Cypriot side. He added that Cyprus issue could be solved within the consent of two peoples and within a structure protecting laws of the two societies. He said that their insistence and efforts in this issue would continue in a dynamic way.
(GC-ÖŞ) 12.10.2003