Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for his activities to instill peace both in Turkey and with its neighbors, Thorbjorn Jagland, secretary-general of the Council of Europe and also the chair of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee, has told the Cihan news agency.
Praising the Justice and Development Party (AK Party)-led democratic initiative process in Turkey, the secretary-general of the Council of Europe said Turkey is rushing headlong into being the strongest country in Europe. Noting that the ruling party is taking important steps to advance democracy through embracing all parts of society, Jagland said he appreciates the government’s effective policies. “I admire his leadership,” Jagland said. Jagland also added that the government has bravely attacked problems in the country through the Kurdish and Alevi initiatives. Noting that Turkey had signed a protocol to normalize relations with Armenia and lifted visa requirements with many countries, Jagland marked Turkey as a candidate to be one of the strongest countries in Europe.
Jagland said he cannot understand those who object to Turkey’s EU membership, a country which has one of the strongest armies in Europe, is a bridge between the East and the West and has a unifying role in one of the most problematic regions in the world, the Middle East. He added that as the Council of Europe, they are closely following the Ergenekon investigation and think that Turkey should clamp down on the clandestine criminal network. Jagland said this is a significant opportunity for the development of Turkish democracy and human rights practice. He said the military should also withdraw its influence over politics and that the military’s callous stance towards politics is one of the most important milestones of democracy. “It is appreciated what the government has done to curb the influence of the military over the political system.”
Saying that it is not correct to comment on whether or not Erdoğan deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, Jagland said that he had noted that he admires Erdogan’s leadership due to his role in mediating for peace in the region. “So you decide what I think on this,” Jagland said, and indirectly signaled that he wants Erdogan to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
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