Erdogan: "The AKP's top priority is to preserve democratic and economic stability"

Addressing his ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) parliamentary group meeting yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that AKP's most important priority is preserving democratic and economic stability. Stressing that there are those who would like to see the country grow weaker, he added, "People used to creating crises for political ends see the country slipping into weakness as an opportunity to weaken the government." He added such people aren't interested in Turkey's successes or economic growth. Saying he will continue to fight terrorism in a variety of ways, he called diplomatic means the most important plank of the fight against terrorism. "We have close cooperation with the central Iraqi government, and our dialogue with the local northern Iraqi administration will also continue." Stressing that the AKP has made enormous strides towards finishing the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP), he added that the government allocated 2.3 billion YTL this year to create jobs in the region.