Top COE , Nobel official suggests Erdogan as peace prize candidate

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan may deserve the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to promote peace both in Turkey and regionally, Thorbjorn Jagland, secretary-general of the Council of Europe and also chair of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee, suggested in an interview with a Turkish news agency. Praising the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) recent democratic initiative, Jagland said Turkey is fast becoming the strongest country in Europe. Saying that the AK Party is taking important steps to advance democracy throughout Turkish society, Jagland praised the government's policies. "I admire his (Erdogan's) leadership," Jagland said. Citing Turkey's recent moves to normalize relations with Armenia and lift visa requirements with many countries, Jagland said he can't understand people who oppose Turkey's EU bid. Turkey has one of the strongest armies in Europe, is a bridge between the East and the West, and plays a unifying role in the Middle East, he said. Declining to directly speculate on whether Erdogan deserves the peace prize, Jagland nevertheless expressed admiration for Erdogan's leadership in working for peace in the region. "So you can decide what I think about this," Jagland said.