PRIME MINISTER RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN AND HIS DELEGATION IN NEW YORK

Within the framework of U.S.A visit, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan went to New York with a delegation including State Minister Nazım Ekren, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Babacan and AK Party Vice-Chairman Egemen Bagis. At Colombia University, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan answered the questions the audience in his speech named as 'The Role of Turkey in Future Forming'.

On a question regarding if there was an opposition between Turkey's relations with Middle East and West, and the EU process, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the Islamic world follows Turkey's EU process carefully with its 1.5 billion members. Erdogan also underlined: Turkey's participation to EU will be bridge especially between Islamic and Christian sphere and this participation will contribute the democratization process severely. Erdogan determined that Turkey is a democratic and secular constitutional state, and Turkey's membership to EU will positively affect the process between West and Islamic world.

Erdogan emphasized that all countries in the Islamic world appreciate Turkey's progress and it encourages themselves. Erdogan included that Turkey will proceed with the same determination about EU membership.

Regarding the reformation of United Nations, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the Security Council has a big role in providing the security atmosphere in the world and Turkey, who was voted in by 151 members of United Nations, will act at the highest level.