ANKARA (CIHAN) - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that Turkey attended the Summit of Group of Eight Highly Industrialized Countries (G-8) as 'democratic partner' and Turkey was not target country of Greater Middle East Project.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was invited by the US President to attend the Summit of Group of Eight Highly Industrialized Countries (G-8) in the State of Georgia, US on June 9, attended the Summit of G-8 in the US between June 8 and 12. Some marginal leftist and marginal right groups fiercely criticized Erdoðan for his participation to the Summit.
Commenting on Turkish foreign policy in his party's parliamentary group, Erdogan said that Turkey has become a respected country with its active foreign policy in the international arena and added that some circles in Turkey was trying to prevent and despise people who contributed to the development of Turkey.
Prime Minister Erdogan said that Afghanistan and Iraqi problems were discussed in the Summit of G-8 and he stated his hope that the Afghan government would be successful and general elections in Afghanistan would be carried out without problems.
Reiterating his previous statements that reforms should not be imposed on countries by outer powers, Erdoðan said that changing political system of countries and impositions ignoring inner dynamics, cultures and believes would not be successful.
Commenting on daily protests in Turkey against the Summit of NATO in Istanbul on June 27-29, Prime Minister Erdogan said that the marginal groups, that hold daily protests against NATO, were remnants of mentality of old ruined Soviet Union.
Erdoðan also said that Turkey had so far only followed the game but now Turkey was on the ground and began to play the game.
Prime Minister Erdogan also talked about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Turkey's relations with Israel. Erdogan said that Turkish people always supported aggrieved people in history due to teachings of their religion.
Pointing to the migration of Jewish people from Spain to Ottoman Empire in 1492 and Ottoman Turks' aid to Israeli people, Israeli people were previously aggrieved people in history and Turks supported Jewish people but now Palestinian people became aggrieved people; Israeli state using fighter helicopters against Palestinian people, who were only throwing stones.
Erdogan added that Turks were not regretful for accepting Jewish people into its community.
Erdogan stated that he had meetings with Jewish lobby in the US during G-8 Summit in Georgia State of America and added Turkish people were friends of Jewish people but the friends told the realities and told the truths."
Erdogan said, "Turkey had no problem with Israeli people. The policies of Israeli government are strengthening Anti-Semitism. Turkey demands Israel to prevent the strengthening of Anti-Semitism."