PM Erdogan addresses the nation

As a great country, Turkey will continue to take every step which its greatness requires both at home and abroad, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday in a televised address to the nation. Touching on the impact of the global economic crisis, Erdogan said, "Turkey is continuing to progress towards its goals. We have seen that we are now able to remain standing and not lose our determination to make progress despite all difficulties," adding that Turkey is shedding the impact of the crisis more and more each day. Saying that there is no reason for pessimism, Erdogan added, "We will never allow the disruption of Turkey's ongoing stability and peace process. We will never let issues such as the will of the people, democracy, the rule of law and human dignity be subject to debate." He pledged he would continue to work diligently to make Turkey a model country on the international stage. On Turkey's European Union bid, Erdogan said recent global developments show that Turkey's EU accession is not valuable and important not only for Turkey but also for the EU itself, adding that the European public would see this better in the years to come. Erdogan also said that Turkey would determinedly maintain its reform efforts towards full EU membership despite all challenges. On the Nabucco project, Erdogan said the pipeline to carry Caspian natural gas to Europe via Turkey was the first of a series of projects that will make Turkey a world energy hub and transportation corridor. Thanks to these projects, Turkey will be Europe's fourth-largest energy supply line, Erdogan said. He added that Nabucco will make Turkey an important partner of EU energy policy through integrating their energy infrastructures. He said he hoped recent developments would clarify that Turkey is a natural part of the EU. As a result of government efforts, crucial energy projects to transfer energy resources from the Middle East and Caspian to world markets are no longer a dream, Erdogan stressed.