Turkey is making intensive efforts to provide humanitarian aid to Iraqi Turkmen who are caught in the conflict between the ISIL – Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – and Northern Iraqi Kurdish forces in Kirkuk, said Turkey's PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan Wednesday at a provincial meeting of ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party chairmen.
“Turkey is making efforts with north and central Iraqi government and international community to free 80 Turkish citizens captured by ISIL," he said.
“Turkey always stood against conflicts among brothers and never supported sectarian clashes in the Middle East," said Erdogan. “We can never overlook massacres in Egypt, Syria and Iraq and will continue to raise our voice for the oppressed people.”
Emphasizing that the AK Party had emerged as a hope of the people and continues to be so, Erdogan said, “Any wrongdoing of the AK Party would harm a great cause in the vast Islamic geography including Egypt, Syria, and Afghanistan.”
Praising economic and political accomplishments of his party within the last twelve years, Erdogan said, “We have made Turkey a country to be proud of and our expatriates can walk around with the pride of being the citizens of this great country now.”
Syria has been gripped by almost constant fighting since the regime launched a violent crackdown in response to anti-government protests in March 2011, triggering a conflict, which has spiraled into a civil war.
www.aa.com.tr/en
