Erdogan: Turkish democracy tested in Taksim protests

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday Turkish democracy went through a significant testing process and proved successful regarding Taksim Gezi Park protests. "Hiding behind the sensitiveness of protecting the environment and the park, the protests aimed at harming our economy, democracy, and the solution process, which all mean our future. But they could not be successful thanks to the prayers and supports of our people," Erdogan told a televised address to the nation on Friday. Stating that the solution process, which requires the terrorist groups to leave Turkey, was not affected by Gezi Park protests, Erdogan said the economy as well proved a complete success. "If these protests had taken place 10 years ago, there would definitely have been more harm on the Turkish economy," he said. Erdogan reminded Turkey paid off all the debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which was 23.5 billion dollars 10 years ago. Stressing the solution process continued with great determination, Erdogan said, "In a period when Turkey grows each day, adding new successes to the developments, those who attended Gezi Park protests, excluding the sincere environmentalists, became parts of some scenarios and were taken advantage as the actors either deliberately or accidentally." Erdogan emphasized that Turkey was not "a country to be played and to undergo operations" and said, "This great state, with its great nation, has the willpower to foil every game played against the country and to react to those malicious acts." He said there were only 10 years left to reach their "2023 goals" and added that they were marching towards those goals with great determination, planning each 5 years in all details. In the next 5 years, there will be additional employment of 4 million people, said Erdogan adding they aimed to decrease the unemployment rate to 7.2 percent.   Touching on foreign affairs, Erdodan said, "we will keep on the active foreign policies, increasing our contribution to regional and international peace."    Stating Turkey had all the potential and capability to fulfill its targets, he said, "we can make Turkey one of the 10 most developed countries in the world if we could all make effort and work hard." "Turkey is definitely not a country in which the minority could lead the majority as in the past. Such a country would not be democratic and social state and a rule of law. On the other hand, democracy is not something permitting the majority to oppress the minority ignoring their rights. We will keep on admitting the problems of all 76 million people as our own problem and try to find solutions." Stressing Turkey would develop taking the needed strength from friendship, solidarity, and synergy, Erdogan said they could get over all the problems in a way with no violence at all. Erdogan reminded his North African tour that covered Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria, and said those countries had been going through a significant process of democratic change. "Turkey could never be indifferent to the developments in the region. Therefore, we will continue to take every step in order to make Turkey a regional power in North Africa, Middle East and South Mediterranean."