ANKARA/BEIJING - Justice and Development Party (AK Party) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said State Minister Kursad Tuzmen had brought him Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's ''regards'', adding, ''in addition to regards, Saddam sent his gratitude for our sensitivity towards Iraq issue.''
During his flight from Turkey to China, Erdogan answered questions of reporters aboard the plane.
When asked when 'an operation against Iraq would start', Erdogan said, ''now, we are going to China.''
Noting that the report of U.N. weapon inspectors should be observed at first, Erdogan said a new development about the issue had happened and an extra time had been requested, adding, ''the situation may change''.
Replying a question about State Minister Kursad Tuzmen's contacts in Iraq, Erdogan said, ''I only received Saddam Hussein's regards not a message. Besides, I received expression of his gratitude for our sensitivity towards the Iraq issue.''
When asked whether or not there was any 'threat', Erdogan said, ''I don't approve such questions. Mr. Tuzmen explained these in press conference.''
When recalled of Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal's criticisms against the government's Cyprus policies, Erdogan said that his party had been maintaining its policy toward Cyprus and there had not been any deviation from his party's policy.
Noting that they would not support any opinion that might harm Northern Cyprus, Erdogan said, ''there are some men who are supposedly described as only defenders of Northern Cyprus. They should be asked what they have done so far. It is not beneficial to anybody to incite an atmosphere of conflict between Mr. Denktas and us.''
Recalling that a map about Cyprus was submitted in the meeting he had with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan about the issue, Erdogan said that they didn't accept it. Erdogan stated that they discussed all those issues with CHP Leader Deniz Baykal, adding that ''you can't solve problems by defending 'no solution.' Politics is the art of finding solution, not producing problems. If you escape from negotiation table, you will be defeated both in your country and in the world. We have more love and respect to Turkish Cypriot people than the ones who claim that they defend Northern Cyprus.''
Erdogan said that Chinese people want to deal with energy sector in Turkey, adding that they want to make investment in railway transportation. Erdogan stressed that the risk of accident in railways is lesser.
Erdogan said that in his visits to Europe, he focused on EU membership, and that he will take up economy, culture and partially politics in his visit to Central Asian countries.
Noting that foreign businessmen started to come to Turkey after the visits of the government abroad, Erdogan said that ''we started to get the results of our visits. We expect the price in natural gas to decrease.''