Wednesday, 4 November 2009
ANKARA - Turkish prime minister has dismissed claims that Turkey's foreign policy was shifting course.
"Turkey's foreign policy is not shifting direction, its axis or course. But it is normalising and taking concrete and decisive steps forward to a level as it should. And it becomes ever more important and effective," Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Tuesday a meeting of his Justice and Development (AK) Party.
Erdogan said during a visit to Iran, the two countries have signed several agreements including a natural gas deal that gives Turkey right to extract gas from Iran's southern Pars Fields.
Turkey also recently signed with Russia a joint statement concerning the construction of an oil pipeline between Turkey's Black Sea coast and its Mediterranean coast and to set up a joint oil refinery.
Erdogan said Turkey was committed on its European Union membership bid despite what he described as "unfair and discouraging attitudes."
"We are on track with our EU accession process and it is out of question that we quit making reforms. The fact that our direction leads toward the West and our sincere efforts for EU membership do not mean that we turn our backs on the east or the north. Turkey's foreign policy is built upon peace, dialogue, cooperation and communication," Erdogan said.
"In the face of Iran's nuclear program, defending the use of nuclear power for humanitarian purposes, defending non-proliferation, defending equality and fair approach do not mean a shift of foreign policy axis. In the face of Gaza, defending what is right and defending humanity do not mean a shift of foreign policy axis" Erdogan said.
