Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addressed the 8th Jeddah Economic Forum in February 2007, arguing that global terrorism cannot be defeated while the world spends one trillion dollars annually on weapons. He said poverty, ignorance, and hopelessness among young people create fertile ground for extremism, and urged international cooperation to build a better future.
Erdoğan highlighted Türkiye's economic recovery since his government took office, noting that gross national product had reached 470 billion dollars. He said foreign investment had grown significantly, and the number of Turkish investors operating in EU member states had risen to 150,000. He credited fiscal discipline and structural reforms for the turnaround.
On domestic politics, Erdoğan acknowledged that two elections were approaching but pledged to maintain Türkiye's economic program without resorting to the populist pre-election spending that had characterized previous governments. He said reform requires political determination and broad social support, not fear.
Erdoğan also cited improvements in human rights, including advances in freedom of expression and religious freedom. He noted that Türkiye and Spain had assumed co-presidency of the Alliance of Civilizations under former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, and called on the international community to focus collective energy on peace, poverty reduction, and education.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in February 2007, in its own words.