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Saturday, October 18, 2008

DAY FOUR in Ankara 9-18-08: Audio of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Egemen Bagis, Onur Oymen; photo gallery


Photo Gallery: Ankara cityscapes, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Egemen Bagis, Onur Oymen (for cutlines, click the text icon).

AUDIO:

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, AK Parti, speaks on Turkish-U.S. relations, alliances, business climate, Kurds, and Party’s Islamic past – “I am against the concept of political Islam.”(Listening to the English via headphones and his voice over loud speakers .. tough to get through, but possible. We had no idea going in what the setup would be. All of us, especially the camera person with the New York Times had to scramble.)


AUDIO:

Egemen Bagis, MP of the Justice and Development Parti (AKP) and AK Parti vice-chairman of foreign affairs. Spoke about the party’s plans, Kurds and the central role Turkey hopes to play for it neighbors. “In this part of the world, we have seen enough of all kinds of wars but not enough of diplomacy.”


AUDIO:

Onur Oymen, Deputy chairman of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) the main opposition party. He emphasized Turkey’s connection to Europe and its foundation as a secular country. “Of the 54 countries with Muslim majorities, only Turkey has a Western democracy.” He also ruthlessly attacks the ruling party.

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Turkey in the New York Times

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Writer and Journalist in Seattle.