TURKEY SOURCE OF STABILITY CONTRIBUTING TO REGIONAL, GLOBAL PEACE – PREMIER

Anatolia News Agency, Turkey
March 20 2007

Istanbul, 20 March: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan qualified
[on] Tuesday [20 March] Turkey as a source that generated stability
and security in a much complex part of the world, adding that his
country has done anything in its capacity to contribute to global
and regional peace.

"Turkey has become a country to be trusted in various conflicts by
pursuing policies that promoted peace," he told a discussion panel
of an Istanbul-based think-tank.

Erdogan cited improving political and economic relations with
neighbouring countries and said that Turkey had achieved to minimize
its problems with them.

"Turkey continues its firm endeavours towards peace, stability and
cooperation with its neighbours. Except for Armenia, there are no
neighbouring countries with which Turkey is currently at odds,"
Erdogan said.

Premier said that between 2003 and 2007 Turkey expanded freedoms and
democracy in a global environment where an opposite tendency prevailed
after the 11 September attacks.

Erdogan added that Turkey had heightened the bar in every field and
grown both in economic terms as well as in democratic standards.

"There is no turning back from the point that Turkey has reached,"
he said.

Erdogan noted that his government had brought relations with the
European Union to their climax after the union opened membership talks
with Turkey, adding that his country’s relations with its friends
and allies had been provided with a "realistic and a firm basis".

Referring to the Cyprus issue, Prime Minister Erdogan said, "We have
been pursuing an active policy to find a lasting and comprehensive
solution to the Cyprus issue. We attach great importance to economic
and social development of the [self-declared] Turkish Republic
of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Today, the TRNC has begun attending
the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) meetings as an
observer member. TRNC President Mehmet Ali Talat was invited to the
United States and many European countries, such as Germany and the
Netherlands. These are important developments."

Touching on recent developments in economy, Erdogan said, "Exports
exceeded 85bn US dollars as of end 2006. Amount of international
investments reached 6.1bn US dollars only in the first month of
this year."

"On the other hand, Turkey has improved its relations with the
neighbouring countries, such as Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Iran and
Syria. Those improving relations have resulted in the increase in
our exports," he said.

Referring to Turkey’s EU membership process, Erdogan said, "Turkey’s
membership to the EU will make a significant contribution to the
dialogue between the East and the West."