Davutoglu: We will be voice of poor countries

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Turkey, which has been serving as a bridge between the East and the West, would defend rights of poor countries in the North from now on. Speaking to Turkiye about the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LCD-IV) which is being held in Istanbul, Davutoglu said within the scope of the Istanbul declaration that will be made public at the end of the conference, Turkey would manage activities regarding least developed countries next 10 years. Davutoglu also said the U.S. and NATO have adopted the road map that Ankara has written for Libya and that Turkey feels trapped by its successful relations with the regimes and people in the Middle East. Citing broad support for what Turkey proposed as a road map to end the conflict between Libyan rebels and pro-Gadhafi forces, Davutoglu said many participants of the Libya Contact Group meeting in Rome expressed opinion that Turkey's road map for Libya is the right and feasible one. Turkey hasn’t forgotten to maintain good relations with the governments in the Middle East while gaining popularity among the citizens as well, said Davutoglu. “We have felt the pressure of being entrapped between the two successes,” he said. “We can’t forget to uphold very strong relations based on confidence with the administrations as well,” said Davutoglu, adding that the Turkish leadership has established warm relations with Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad as well as other leaders in the Middle East.