Turkey’s foreign minister said on Monday that nobody should ask Turkey to make a preference between the European Union (EU) and Cyprus.
Ahmet Davutoglu said some EU countries put Cyprus as a precondition before Turkey’s membership for internal political reasons.
"Nobody should try to cause a Cyprus impasse, and nobody can urge us to make a preference that we do not want," Davutoglu said during the Third Ambassadors’ Conference, that has brought together almost 180 Turkish diplomats around the world, in Ankara.
Davutoglu said Turkey would make the most expected decisions under hard circumstances when its international interests were in question.
The minister said Turkey would continue to walk on the road to the EU, and some Turkey-friend EU members were trying to explain the others how a great global actor the EU would be if it included Turkey.
On relations with neighboring countries, Davutoglu said Turkey had seen itself equal to even the smallest countries in its vicinity, and would spread its visa free and free trade practices all around its environment.
"We are determined to change the image of the Balkans, Caucasus and Middle East--which all have a negative image as they are associated with crises," Davutoglu said.
Davutoglu said Turkey had appointed eight ambassadors to Africa, was about to open eight new embassies in the region, and legal process for two embassies were about to be completed.
"Thus, we will have 18 embassies in that region," he said.
Davutoglu said Turkey was increasing its representations in Latin America, and was planning to inaugurate at least two or three embassies in Central America and one or two others in Southeast Asia.
Turkey has 203 representations, and 1,500 diplomats all around the world right now. The number of Turkey’s representations will be up to 214 soon.