Arinc pushes for reform in the mideast

Turkey hopes reforms will be realized, elections will be held, and change will take place to fulfill the hopes of the peoples of North Africa, the Middle East and the Gulf, said Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc on Tuesday, touting the way Turkish foreign policy has handled the region's recent unrest. Speaking with Turkish state-run television TRT Haber in Cairo, en route to Nigeria to attend a D-8 ministerial meeting, Arinc said the unrest in Arab countries shows the desire for more democracy and freedom. Citing Turkey's push for former Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak to heed his people's demands, Arinc said Egypt is now making progress toward democracy without bloodshed. Asked what he would say to leaders who refuse to step down despite growing protests against their decades-old rule, Arinc said Turkey is urging these countries to enact reforms. "Turkey is doing its duty," he added. "But it might be impossible for old regimes to transform very rapidly."