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CICA Is Important For Regional and Global Peace, Erdogan

07 June 2010 23:42 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that CICA was an important platform for regional and global peace and an important opportunity for solution of problems, APA reports quoting turkishny.com web-page. Erdogan hosted dinner in the honor of the guest heads of state and government of the countries who visited Turkey to participate in the Third Conference on Interaction and Confidence-building Measures in Asia (CICA).
Erdogan wished the conference to be beneficial for the countries and the region and thanked to the participating countries.
"Turkey from the very beginning extends support to this process. 22 countries that are members to the conference constitute approximately 90 percent of the territory and population of Asian continent. This geography also has an important place in the world economy. I believe that CICA is also an important platform for global peace as well as regional peace," Erdogan said.
"We should all strive for peace and welfare of each of our citizens and for regional and global peace. We are pleased to see that an important stage has been reached in 2010 for non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Turkey and Brazil last week made a historic step on one of the most controversial matters of international agenda and signed swap deal with Iran. We believe that diplomacy should be given chance in all issues including nuclear programs. We are pleased to see that our endeavors constituted an important opportunity in the name of regional peace," Erdogan said.
Referring to Israel’s attack on ships on May 31 carrying aid to Gaza, Erdogan said Israeli troops attacked ships in the international waters carrying 600 activists from 33 countries who aim to assist Palestinians who were exposed to inhumane conditions in Gaza. Nine people were killed and more than 20 civilians were seriously injured in this piracy attack. Those taken hostage were exposed to maltreatment and violence. I would like to underline that this attack will be recorded in history of humanity as a disgrace. Unfortunately, tolerance of the international community to such kind of unlawful acts displayed in the Middle East and the Mediterranean for decades escalated violence policies and established a ground for state terrorism to be carried out in the region boldly. Overlooking at such kind of incidents, furthermore supporting them openly or secretly, failure to impose any sanction yield very dangerous consequences for peace and stability of the region. We are inviting all the world countries to assume a straight and decisive stance against such kind of aggressive and unlawful policies."
Referring to the blockade in Gaza, Erdogan said, "as long as the blockade in Gaza continues and as long as Gaza continues to be a bleeding wound being an open air prison, it will not be possible for peace to prevail in the Middle East, Asia and the whole world. We all know the fact that Jerusalem is holy for Jews and Christians as well as the Muslims. Any initiative aiming at altering status or demographical structure of Jerusalem will cause uneasiness not only in the Islam world but also for the Christians."
"I would like to remind that we are waiting for a fair and satisfactory approach for the removal of blockade on Gaza, ensuring transportation of humanitarian aid to Gaza and investigating bloody attacks in the Mediterranean. It is the last think we want new international conflicts in our region and continent. Every country should exert efforts to restore Palestinian-Israeli peace, resumption of peace talks urgently and establishment of a Palestinian state that has East Jerusalem as capital. I believe that third Istanbul Summit of CICA relays a very meaningful message in this sense," he said.

Erdogan said Turkey assumed rotating presidency for 2010-2012.