Erdogan stands behind his remarks on Zionism

In an interview with the Danish Politiken daily, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan urged European countries to cooperate on the fight against terrorism, saying that hosting terrorist cells is not compatible with Europe's democracy and transparency criteria. "Unfortunately, we have not received the support we expect from Europe in regards to the fight against terrorism. The European countries, which want Turkey to make reforms within the framework of European criteria, are not aware that terrorism is a big obstacle before the reform process. Besides, we should be in full cooperation in the fight against terrorism. Neighborliness and friendship require this," said Erdogan. Answering a question on Roj TV, which still has permission to broadcast despite a Danish court ruling that found the owners of the channel guilty of promoting terrorism, Erdogan said that the court decision regarding Roj TV was of great importance, adding however that it is a disappointment for Turkey that the channel's broadcasting license has still not been cancelled by Denmark. Touching on the Syria issue, Erdogan said, "It may be considered normal, up to a certain point, for regional and global actors to have different points of view with respect to the developments in Syria. But it is the Syrian people who suffer as a result of the indifference of the international community, especially the UN Security Council, to the massacres and the support extended by some to the Assad regime."  Asked if European Union membership was still a priority for Turkey, Erdogan said that joining the EU was "a strategic goal because we believe that there will be new opportunities for both sides with our membership to the EU. In this framework, we consider our relations with the EU as a win-win situation and aim to develop this relationship further," adding, "If there was political will in the EU, our country would be in a position to rapidly open chapters on economy, monetary policy, education, culture and energy as well as all others for negotiation. In our estimate, it is possible to technically open 10 chapters in 12 months and 15 chapters in 18 months."  Erdogan also told the Danish Politiken daily that he still stood behind the speech he gave several weeks ago in which he called Zionism a crime against humanity while clarifying that his criticism targeted Israeli policies. Underlining that he is aware of the fact that what he said in Vienna caused debates, Erdogan said, "But no one should misunderstand me. Everyone knows that my criticism is of Israeli policies. And our criticisms will continue as long as Israel does not accept the existence of the Palestinian state." Stating that he expressing his clear stance on the issue, Erdogan noted, "That’s why I stand behind the speech I gave in Vienna."