ANKARA: Turks in quest of creating diaspora

Turkish Daily News, Turkey
March 10 2007

Turks in quest of creating diaspora
Saturday, March 10, 2007

Turkish Daily News

Weary of alleged Armenian genocide resolutions adopted by a number
of parliaments abroad, Turkey has been seeking ways to create its own
diaspora together with northern Cyprus and Azerbaijan.

More than 5 million Turkish citizens live in 118 countries in the
world but they do not have any political influence. In the
Azerbaijani capital of Baku, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan said
on Friday he expected Turkish and Azeri citizens living in the United
States, Europe, Australia, the Middle East and other parts of the
world to benefit from each other’s powers.

`All of us from politicians, academics, artists, capital owners,
media groups to all businessmen bear important responsibilities.
We’ll stand shoulder to shoulder, act in solidarity and carry the
entire Turkic world to a bright future,’ he was quoted as saying at
the opening of the First Forum of the World Azeri and Turkish
Diaspora Organizations.

Turkish Cypriot President Mehmet Ali Talat also participated in the
forum.