Tue 09 February 2010 | 06:30 GMT Text size:

Recep Tayyip Erdogan

"No way back from democracy for Turkey."

Stressing that Turkey has taken historic steps on its quest for democratization, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Turkey cannot turn away from the progress it has made and return to darker days.

“Turkey cannot relinquish its gains. Turkey cannot travel back down the road it has taken towards democracy and law. Those past days of chaos when law, human rights and democracy were violated will never again have a place in Turkey,” Erdogan said yesterday in a ceremony organized in Ankara to mark the inauguration of 127 schools in the capital.

Speaking at the ceremony held at the Anadolu Show Center, Erdogan said his ruling Justice and Development (AK Party) government has been struggling to make Turkey a more democratic and modern country where respect for human rights and freedom of expression exists. Addressing the students of the new schools, Erdoğan said: “We are exerting efforts to maintain a democratic, secular and social state of law. You are the ones who will achieve this. You will protect these principles and you will protect democracy just as you will protect the Turkish Republic.”

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