Erdogan: "Diplomatic efforts must play a role in ending terrorism"

At his ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) group meeting, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday spoke about the fight against terrorism. Responding to the criticisms of the government, Erdogan said that people living in Turkey are equal members of the same nation, with none superior to the other. Saying that law and democracy won't be hurt during counterterrorist efforts, Erdogan said that all sectors of society agree that terrorism cannot be defeated by security measures alone. Erdogan said that Turkey must also use diplomacy in these efforts, adding, "We're doing work which includes all the related actors - the Iraqi central administration, the US and the regional administration in northern Iraq. If such steps weren't taken before, this was a mistake."