ISTANBUL (CIHAN) - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that a general amnesty was not on the agenda of his government.
The Prime Minister, responding to amnesty calls from the pro-Kurdish DEHAP, said that his government has take important steps on Kurdish issues. "We cannot say anything more if some people fail to recognize our sincerity in resolving this issue." DEHAP chairman Tuncer Bakirhan recently repeated calls for a general amnesty of Kurdish political prisoners.
Prime Minister Erdogan, who attended the G8 summit in the USA, returned to Turkey on Sunday. Erdogan held a press conference in Istanbul Ataturk Airport.
Erdogan said that the ruling government had already taken unprecedented steps and ruled out any possible of taking further steps in this line.
Turkish Prime Minister said that the reception of the four recently-released ex-MPs of the DEP by the Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gül was an important step. Erdogan said that he is ready to receive the ex-MPs if they would like.
The Turkish government paved the way for expanding the cultural rights of the Kurdish people by adopting the EU-inspired reform packages. Last week, the state broadcaster (TRT) began airing radio and TV programs in two Kurdish dialects, Kurmanji and Zaza. The Turkish Supreme Court freed four former pro-Kurdish-DEP deputies, including Nobel peace prize nominee Leyla Zana, who were jailed in 1994 for ties with the PKK.
Regarding his visit to the USA last week, Erdogan said that Turkey is now an active player in the international arena. " Turkey is not watching affairs from a terrace. She is playing in the field, taking part in new initiatives. She will contribute world peace and politics."
Erdogan said that the reason for violence in Afghanistan, Israel and Palestine was poverty. "We should support the poor countries. Terrorist is a poor person and is conditioned to kill. The infrastructure should be strengthened in order to boost the democratic process in Middle East."
Turkey has been selected as one of the three co-chairs of the 'Democracy Aid Dialogue' created under 'the Greater Middle East and North African Project' of the United States. Turkey's position was announced at the G-8 Summit in Georgia, USA on Wednesday. Yemen and Italy are the other co-chairs.
The leaders of the G8 countries along with the leaders of certain Muslim states, including Turkey, voiced their willingness to promote peace, political, economic and social development, prosperity and stability in the countries of the Broader Middle East and North Africa.
Concerning the simmering tensions with the Israeli government, Erdogan said that his criticism target the Israeli government and not the Israeli people. "We have a friendly attitude toward the Israeli people, but there have been certain steps in the wrong direction from the Israeli government."
Erdogan said that Turkey has the right to determine which country it has relations with including Palestine. "This is a win-win policy."
The Turkish Prime Minister has recently criticized the Israeli government for implementing a policy of state terror in Palestine. Turkey has had close economic and security ties with Israel since the 1990s. Israel also regards Ankara as a valuable ally in the region.
Although the Turkish government has condemned Israeli policies in Palestine, the Turkish Foreign Ministry has also made it clear that economic and political relations remain close.
The trade volume between the two countries was $1.2 billion in 2002. Israeli firms have fulfilled a greater share of Turkish defense contracts since the mid 1990s.