Erdogan: "No one can stifle Turkey's development"

Addressing an inaugural ceremony in Istanbul's Tuzla district yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey has made remarkable economic progress in recent years. "If Turkey had continued to suffer from the corruption it saw in past years, then such progress would never have happened," Erdogan said. "Thanks to the government's determined anti-corruption efforts, Turkey is now enjoying notable economic development." In an apparent reference to his argument with the Dogan media group over corruption allegations, he added, "There are those who cannot accept this transformation, and are trying to smear the government. But no one can derail Turkey's path towards development, and the government will never bow to pressure from those slanderers." Stating that government efforts to remove hurdles to foreign investment over the last five years have produced record results, Erdogan said Turkey must maintain its stability and self-confidence to continue this trend. After the ceremony, Erdogan also attended an iftar fast-breaking dinner with a group of workers. In related news, Spanish Prime Minister and Alliance of Civilizations Co-Chair Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero will meet with Erdogan for a fast-breaking dinner in Istanbul next Monday.