Peace bid not backed enough: Turkish PM

ANKARA

CİHAN Photo

Neither the general Turkish public nor the business community have lent the support “required” by the government regarding the resolution process, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, vowing that they will continue taking risks, introducing the respective reforms and acting bravely throughout the process.

“I’m not intending to be unfair to anybody. I express my gratitude to those who have contributed to the [resolution] process for the past 11 years as they had done for 30 years. But if this contribution had been greater, stronger and more determined, Turkey would have been witness to a more tranquil environment [like the one] that we have been witnessing for the past year much earlier,” Erdoğan said on Nov. 20, delivering a speech at the 3rd Industry Council which was hosted by the Science, Industry and Technology Ministry.

The resolution process was actually launched when his Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power in 2002, according to Erdoğan. “We have endeavored to push the process forward step by step for [the past] 11 years. But we have been left alone for 11 years. We do not have the support required from the opposition, the general public, the business world, universities and the media,” the premier said.

“We all know that it’s not only a terrorism issue,” Erdoğan maintained, adding that the Kurdish issue has sociological, political, diplomatic and economic dimensions. “When this issue is fully resolved, it will be beneficial for all of us... This is the problem of 76 million people, and all 76 million citizens will benefit [from the resolution],” he said.

During his address to the various industry leaders and businessmen, Erdoğan took the opportunity to reiterate his wish for a domestically-produced car: “As we have started to produce our unmanned air vehicle and ATAK helicopters, we should commence production of a local domestic car, which would be much easier.”