ISTANBUL - Eurasia was not a scene for Turkey to show its power and influence, Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said on Saturday.
Gul, who attended a panel discussion on new horizons in Turkish foreign policy in Turkish commercial hub Istanbul, said that Turkey should contribute to prevention of conflicts and settlement of peace instead of being a spectator.
Therefore, Gul noted, Turkey played an effective and encouraging role in platforms like the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), and NATO.
Pointing to NATO summit and OIC foreign ministers` meeting to be held in Istanbul in June, Gul said that participants would take important decisions on the Middle East and Eurasia during those meetings.
Gul said that Turkey would be effective on those decisions, expressing its views.
Eurasia had a prior place in Turkey`s foreign policy, Gul pointed out.
Gul said, ``Eurasia is not a scene for Turkey to show its power and influence. On the contrary, elimination of security threats in the region and settlement of a stable development are our main goals.``
The Russian Federation was an important partner of Turkey in elimination of security risks and restoration of stability in Eurasia, Gul emphasized.
Gul said that countries should be ``internally strong`` in order to be successful in foreign policy, adding that it was not possible for countries to be successful outside if they were not strong inside.
(BRC) 22.05.2004