PM Erdogan: "Turkey offers highly lucrative opportunities for Arab investors"

Addressing the third foreign ministers meeting of the Turkish-Arab Cooperation Forum (TAC) and the fifth meeting of the TAC Economic Forum in Istanbul yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey rejected new sanctions against Iran's controversial nuclear program in a UN Security Council vote this week because the nuclear swap deal Turkey and Brazil brokered with Tehran last month made new sanctions unnecessary. Reiterating that Turkey wants Iran's nuclear issue to be solved through diplomatic means, Erdogan pledged that Turkey will continue working toward this end. Stating that the swap deal was reached after Turkey, a temporary member of the UN Security Council, consulted with the permanent members, Erdogan said, "They could have acted accordingly if Iran failed to keep its promise. Yet Iran kept its promise and sent a letter. Just when a process was about to begin, they acted to cut off this process by adopting (new) sanctions. They also said that they were open to negotiations. Turkey will work with Brazil and Iran to continue the negotiations. We will make efforts so that the Tehran agreement stays on the table. The world must be managed by diplomacy. We have to succeed by diplomacy. Our votes on Wednesday showed that we stand behind the Tehran agreement. We will succeed through diplomacy. We do not want to be part of a wrong (move)." Stating that Turkey and Arab countries share a common geography and history, culture and civilization, Erdogan said, "Turkey has taken a clear, bold stance on global issues and humanitarian matters without racial, regional or geographical distinctions. We're making great efforts for peace, stability and prosperity in the Balkans, the Caucasus, and the Middle East." Touching on Turkey's efforts to boost relations with neighboring and regional countries, Erdogan dismissed claims of an "axis shift" in Turkish foreign policy, saying, "Strengthening friendly relations between Turkey and Arab countries with which we share a common culture and civilization has led some ... especially recently to ask if Turkey has changed its axis or taken a new course. Those who have long tried to hinder Turkey's relations with the Arab world are still trying this today." Those alleging that Turkey is breaking away from the West are spreading ill-intentioned propaganda, Erdogan said, adding that Turkey and the Arab world have been distant from each other for a century due to such propaganda. Many Western states invest in Arab countries, yet we hear dark insinuations about Turkey's investments in the Arab world and Arab investments in Turkey, he said. On the Palestinian issue, Erdogan said there can be no peace and stability in the region as long as Gaza remains under Israeli blockade and urged Arab countries to work harder to solve the issue. Erdogan also urged the international community and organizations to join Turkey in condemning Israel's deadly raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla last week. "We should boost alliances and work harder in the name of peace," he said. "Turkey is trying to carve itself a role in the region. We believe that the suffering, tragedies, unlawful acts and piracy do serious damage to all the countries in the region and the region itself." Predicting that political and economic ties between Turkey and Arab countries will strengthen dramatically in the years to come, Erdogan said Turkey offers extremely profitable opportunities for Arab investors with its rapidly growing economy, which is fast recovering from the global economic crisis. Erdogan said Turkey is expected to be Europe's fastest-growing economy this year and added, "We aim to make Turkey one of the world's 10 biggest economies in 2023. According to Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) estimates, Turkey will be the fastest-growing economy among OECD countries in 2011-2017 with a 6.7 percent growth rate."