Turkish FM: Turkey to be remembered for successes

ISTANBUL

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Sunday that if Turkey's direction remains the same as that espoused when the governing Justice and Development Party came to power, neither the Gezi incidents nor the December 17 operation will be remembered after 40-50 years.

Instead, he predicted, the country will be remembered only for its successes, which he said are the first of Turkish modern history.      

Speaking in Istanbul, Davutoglu acknowledged that 2013 was a year of not only successful summits but also of some crises. But he said the important point was to remain stable and not to deviate from the party's aims and principles.  

"At the very most, only two things will be remembered," he said. "One is that a problem was overcome with the solution process and an everlasting brotherhood revived in this region. ... The other one is May 14, 2013, when Turkey's debts to International Monetary Fund was paid in full. ... From now on, I hope Turks will walk tall in the world and all the incidents except these two will be forgotten."    

Davutoglu said Turkey has become stronger in the 2000s, even as Europe endured hard times. He said that, in the modern era, Turkey has never been as internationally active as in the last ten years.  

"Turkey's sphere of influence and its strength has been so broadened that Turkey has turned back to the regional policy in international ecopolitics and international diplomacy as a strong actor," he said. "The main factor behind of it is our faith and respect for our nation."

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