Erdogan: We Don't Want A State Based On Religious Rules

WASHINGTON D.C., Jan 31 (A.A) - Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that his party didn't want a state based on religious rules, adding that his party regards the constitution of the Turkish Republic as the reference point.
Erdogan who addressed many think tanks in Washington D.C. for three days, participated in a meeting held in National Democratic Institute (NDI).
When his views were asked about secularism, and sharia, Erdogan said that ''we don't want a state based on religious rules, Islam is universal. The reference point of AK Party is the Turkish Republic's Constitution.''
Claiming that the people is not pleased with secularism by the model implemented in Turkey, Erdogan said that secularism in Turkey is not similar to those in the U.S., Britain, Australia and European countries.
Erdogan pointed out that AK Party wants choosing of a model in which people from different beliefs can live together, adding that the secularist regime should be at equal distance to all believers.
''Belief groups are kept under pressure by showing secularism as an excuse,'' claimed Erdogan. Noting that the AK Party does not target to found an ideological state, Erdogan said that his party was against all ideologies, including Kemalism.
''Kemalism is an ideology and it does not mean the principles of Ataturk. The latter are found in the Constitution. They are the principles of having a secular, democratic, social and legal state. We respect these four principles. Secularism and democracy are not in contradiction with each other. AK Party is an important model for prevention of the clash of civilization between the West and Islam following the September 11 attacks,'' he said.
Stressing that democracy and human rights are needed by the Islamic world, Erdogan said that ''AK party is against both political Islam and the implementation of secularism in a totalitarian way.''
Upon a question about the Israeli-Palestinian clash, Erdogan said that his party didn't have any problem with the recognition of Israel as a state, adding that Palestine should also be recognized as a state.