TOKYO - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that killing of Hamas' spiritual leader Sheik Ahmed Yassin had destroyed peace in the Middle East.
Erdogan replied to questions of Japanese journalists at Tokyo National Press Center.
When a reported asked how the problem between Israel and Palestine would affect the peace in the Middle East, Erdogan recalled that Yassin was killed while Turkey was about to take steps for peace process.
Noting that a state should not nurse grudge and should not suspend legal proceedings for its grudge, Erdogan said that if it did so, it was a kind of terrorism. He added that this destroyed peace in Middle East and fell like a bomb on peace and unfortunately eliminated road map for peace. He said that he wished the condition would be recovered rapidly.
(GC-AY) 13.04.2004
TOKYO - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that killing of Hamas' spiritual leader Sheik Ahmed Yassin had destroyed peace in the Middle East.
Erdogan replied to questions of Japanese journalists at Tokyo National Press Center.
When a reported asked how the problem between Israel and Palestine would affect the peace in the Middle East, Erdogan recalled that Yassin was killed while Turkey was about to take steps for peace process.
Noting that a state should not nurse grudge and should not suspend legal proceedings for its grudge, Erdogan said that if it did so, it was a kind of terrorism. He added that this destroyed peace in Middle East and fell like a bomb on peace and unfortunately eliminated road map for peace. He said that he wished the condition would be recovered rapidly.
(GC-AY) 13.04.2004