Erdogan urges justice in the middle east

In its quest for justice in the Middle East, Turkey is working to knock down artificial barriers, such as Israel’s blockade of Gaza , wrote Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan this week, in a guest column for the website project-syndicate.org. "Today, Turkey is following a policy that represents a sense of justice in the Middle East and is working toward the removal of artificial borders and walls among the region's peoples," wrote Erdogan in his piece, "The New Indispensable Nation." "We desire to live in a region where the dignity of every person is respected. That's why we have objected to Israel’s aggression in and blockade of Gaza and will continue to do so." He continued, "We know that it is not possible to attain global peace unless we establish sustainable peace in the Middle East. Therefore we urge Israel and all other countries involved to follow constructive and peaceful policies. Motivated by these principles, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and I showed that cultural, historic and religious differences are no reason for conflict. We stand opposed to discrimination against any society, religion, culture or country. I consider anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and prejudice against Christianity crimes against humanity. Turkey will continue to work toward a just and equitable global order in 2011 and beyond. This is a responsibility emanating from our history, geography and the universal values that we hold."