Erdogan: I Wish Our Friends Had Not Struck Such A Second Blow To Us

ANKARA - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who also acts as leader of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), has said, ''as you know, some countries which we described as our friends, made some distressing statements following November's suicide attacks in Istanbul. I wish our friends had not struck such a second blow to us.''
Speaking at group meeting of the AK Party, Prime Minister Erdogan said on Tuesday, ''representatives of such an atrocity wreaking carnage in the world, can attempt to misuse humanly values of millions of people for their evil purposes. As people who are aware of their responsibilities, we are obliged to render all these terrorist organizations ineffective to protect our values. We are also obliged to tell them that they are nothing, but bloody-minded murderers who have nothing to do with religious values. Any failure in making a distinction between terrorism and religious beliefs, will help terrorism's gaining a larger ground for its gory actions. Those, who have been striving to disrupt political determination for making such a distinction between terrorism and religious beliefs for daily political interests, should think about their acts once again. They should never forget that both our nation and the whole humanity are watching them. I want to underline again that we are very sensitive about terrorist actions and intentions.''
Erdogan thanked security and intelligence forces for their success and stated that the issue was not over yet. He added that it was very important to find out links of those attacks and stated that studies on this issue continued.
Prime Minister Erdogan also thanked their foreign friends who supported Turkey's attitude against terrorism and who proposed cooperation with Turkey after those dreadful incidents in Istanbul and stated that but, some statements which were made after those incidents saddened them.
Stating that they were pleased with the world's comprehending well how terrorism became a global trouble, he said that all nations should have solidarity against terrorism to remove this trouble from the world.
Erdogan said that those who took no notice of terrorism yesterday started to understand this trouble today and stated that double standard toward terrorism should also be removed as soon as possible.
Erdogan also thanked Press Council which issued a statement after bomb attacks in Istanbul and stated that they also shared sensitivity of Press Council on not allowing any foreign will to direct press organs. Erdogan added that they hoped that the determination would continue.
ERDOGAN: THOSE WHO THINK THAT THEY CAN MAKE THEMSELVES BE LISTENED BY EXPLODING BOMBS WILL SEE HOW WRONG THEY ARE SOON
Erdogan said that traitor gangs who intended to harm right to life of others would receive the necessary response from the state and the nation.
Erdogan noted that despite negative incidents that occurred before the Feast of Ramadan, life went on and Turkey continued its determined steps.
''Unfortunately, Turkey is not a country which faces such painful experiences for the first time. We have undergone these painful experiences which we name terrorism for may times due to problems in the region and conditions peculiar to Turkey. These incidents deeply hurt us. But, we don't have any hesitations in Turkey's existence and future. None of our citizens should doubt that these traitor gangs who intend to harm right to life of others will receive the necessary response from our state and nation. Those who think that they can make themselves be listened by exploding bombs will soon see how wrong they are. An understanding which will make concessions of justice and fundamental human rights and humanitarian values can never exist in this country,'' Erdogan said.
Erdogan emphasized that Turkey would under no conditions give up democratic stability.
''Dark focuses fed by terrorism should know that any strategy they will follow will not overshadow our unity and solidarity. In my speech addressing the nation last week, I underlined a big responsibility we are undertaking and I explained why we don't want to associate concept of terrorism with any adjectives. We clearly stated the problems that can occur when terrorism is linked with religions and beliefs of billions of innocent people in the world,'' Erdogan said.
Stating that they considered that every kind of action which made an attempt on innocent people's lives was included in concept of terrorism, Erdogan said that terrorism could never be a part of religion, nation, geography and cultural integrity.
Erdogan said that Islam could not be used as an attribution in any terrorist action or humanity crime and stated that they damned fundamentalist, racist and regionalist terrorism.
(BRC-EÖ-AÖ) 02.12.2003