Erdogan lectures at the Turkish foreign policy conference in Brazil

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan lectured at the Turkish Foreign Policy Conference which was organized at the South African Republic International Relations and Cooperation Ministry yesterday. Responding to a participant's statement that weapons and rockets are being smuggled through tunnels in Gaza, Erdogan said, "First of all, you should know that atomic bombs, nuclear weapons and phosphorus bombs cannot be smuggled through these tunnels." Erdogan added that Gaza, on the other hand, was besieged by guns and weapons and attacked with phosphorus bombs by Israel, which has even bombed the UN buildings. Erdogan said that Israel has nuclear weapons, but it doesn't say so. "On the other hand, Iran is attacked by everyone due to its atomic bombs. What kind of a justice is this? I consider Israel as a threat to region, because it has nuclear weapons. What's more, Israel is an occupying force now, implementing state terrorism in the region," said Erdogan. He added that Turkey was the most important friend of Israel in the region, but it has lost Turkey due to these approaches. Speaking on the Arab Spring, Erdogan said that we indeed witnessed the birth of a new Middle East and that nothing could stand against people's longing for a democratic and honorable life in the region. Erdogan also reiterated that Turkey would impose sanctions on Syria, making it clear that the UN Security Council could not hinder Turkey's with regard to the issue. He added that Turkey and either some or all of the EU nations, and who knows which others, will take steps and nobody could block our sanctions. Stating that 89 UN resolutions about imposing sanctions on Israel have not been implemented at all, Erdogan said that the UN should be reformed and that permanent and temporary memberships should be changed in the reformation process.