ISTANBUL - Mikhail Gorbachev, last head of State of the former USSR, praised Ataturk --founder of the Republic of Turkey-- and said that his legacy could be adapted to contemporary times.
Gorbachev told a press conference after the finale of the 31st World Congress of the International Road Transport Union in Istanbul that the project for the revival of the "Silk Road" was a great contemporary project that would unite separated humanity in a global world.
He said relations between Turkey and Russia were on a better level than expected and said Turkey was a good partner for Russia.
"Turkey is in good cooperation with Russia. It is also developing good relations with former Soviet republics. I believe we will have new opportunities for cooperation," said Gorbachev.
When asked to comment about the assertion that "nation states" would collapse in the new world order, Gorbachev said this was nothing but a fantasy. He said "people will never give up on nation states. Structures like NAFTA and the EU are signs of new quests. We can`t hand everything to multinational corporations."
Answering a question on the dissolution case filed against Justice and Development (AK) Party, Gorbachev said independence of courts was important, and pointed out that this was Turkey`s own business.
Gorbachev said Ataturk was a great figure, adding that thanks to him Turkey thrived after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.
"Ataturk left this legacy. It can be adopted to contemporary times. This is a choice you can make. I just want to say this: What was this country like? And what is it like now? We see that the path laid down by Ataturk is effective and efficient." said Gorbachev.
(OZG-GC)