SAVANNAH - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said late on Wednesday coalition forces in Iraq should transfer sovereignty to interim government soon and Iraq should build its own future.
Holding a press conference in Savannah after attending the G-8 Summit on Sea Island, the United States, Prime Minister Erdogan said, ''Turkey was invited to the G-8 summit as a result of its intense diplomacy and role of its regional policies. Therefore, we have been trying to form a tie between the Islam world and the European Union (EU). The G-8 summit is of great importance in regard to international relations.''
''We want to create an atmosphere of peace, stability and modernism in the Middle East. Creation of such an atmosphere requires our countries' displaying a joint will. The partnership declaration of the summit will initiate a democratization process in the region including the Middle Eastern and north African countries. The summit attributes great importance to values such as democracy, supremacy of law, human rights and justice,'' he said.
Stressing that the industrialized countries should support regional countries, Prime Minister Erdogan said, ''we have some certain responsibilities to this end. Problems in the region should be resolved without any delay. It is important to lay political and psychological foundation in the region.''
Erdogan said September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States was the starting point of all those, stating that incidents erupted in Afghanistan and Iraq after September 11 terrorist attacks. He said there was a need to put forth a transition and peace period in the two countries.
Erdogan said an election would be held in Afghanistan in September and that an Interim Government was elected in Iraq, and noted that government in Iraq should be supported.
Erdogan said, ''coalition forces should transfer sovereignty to interim government soon and Iraq should build its own future. We believe that this is a need.''
Stating that Turkey and neighboring countries in the region had a mutual history, Erdogan said restoring peace and order in the Middle East was their responsibility.
Relations with Israel and Palestine should be considered well, Erdogan stressed, and noted, ''we always consider as a duty to help the steps that will be taken in the region. We oppose terrorism wherever it comes from.''
Erdogan stressed that all the strong countries should fulfill their responsibilities to protect global peace.
Pointing out that there were declarations in G-8 summit and that one of those was the principle that change should not be imposed from outside, Erdogan said differences of every country should be taken into consideration.
Erdogan said every country has its own peculiarities and that those should be taken into consideration, stressing that local administrations, business world, and non-governmental organizations should be accepted as joint partners.
(UK-AY-AÖ) 10.06.2004