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Turkish Foreign Minister Says Turkey Aims To Build Future Together

NOVI PRAZAR (A.A) - 24.07.2009 - The Turkish foreign minister said on Friday that Turkey aimed to build future together with Balkan countries.
Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that Turkey had historical responsibility to Balkan nations, and therefore would do what it had to do to fulfil that responsibility.

"The requirement of this responsibility is to bring all countries closer to each other, ensure lasting stability in the Balkans, minimize the separation among nations that had lived side-by-side for centuries, and to build future altogether," Davutoglu told AA correspondent in Novi Prazar, Sanjak.

Davutoglu said Turkey was positive to Serbia's willingness to become a strategic partner with itself.

"Turkey sees creating a regional consciousness and common destiny in the Balkans very fruitful," Davutoglu also said.

Davutoglu said the Balkans should be turned into a region of security, freedom, peace, stability and welfare to avoid agonies experienced in 1990s.

The Turkish minister underlined importance of Bosnia-Herzegovina's territorial integrity and stability.

Also, Davutoglu said that Serbia proposed Turkey to carry out giant projects within its borders, particularly in Sanjak.

Davutoglu said that Serbia also proposed to set up an Islam culture center in Belgrade, and that he welcomed and accepted that proposal.

The minister defined his visit as historic, and said he was the first Turkish minister visiting Sanjak maybe a century later.

Davutoglu said the behaviors he came across during his time in Sanjak and his impression of his meetings with political leaders indicated that the people of Sanjak were still loyal to Turkey.

"We will do everything for their welfare and happiness, and I hope Sanjak will be the rising region of the Balkans," he said.

Davutoglu also hoped Sanjak would continue to be a bridge of friendship between Turkey and Serbia.

The Turkish minister later flew to Belgrade by helicopter, from where he will proceed to Montenegro.

Sanjak is located in the centre of the Balkan Peninsula in present day Serbia and Montenegro. Serbia controls six municipalities of Sanjak while Montenegro runs five. Once part of the Ottoman Empire, it covers a geographically diverse area stretching 8,687 square kilometers. It borders Bosnia and Herzegovina in the northwest, Kosovo in the southeast and Albania to the south. The capital of Sanjak is Novi Prazar.

Bosnians are highly populated in Sanjak region. (BRC)