Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan defended the government's "democratization initiative" in his televised address to the nation.

Erdogan, in the beginning of his address to nation broadcast Wednesday by most national TV channels, talked about the "democratization initiative", initially presented by the government as a move to deal with the Kurdish issue, causing strong reaction from the opposition.

Erdogan said however that the initiative did not target a specific issue but rather aimed at opening to discussion all problematic issues troubling Turkey, seeking national consensus for ways to solve these issues and in turn implementing the agreed solutions.

He said they wanted to create a cultural atmosphere that would create a sense of belonging, security and freedom in all citizens, regardless of their ethnic, religious and cultural identity and close the gap in level of development between different regions.

Erdogan said the government initiative aimed at leaving "no fertile ground suitable for terrorism to take root."

"We want to give an end to the hatred and animosity between brothers in this country. We want youngsters to hold a profession rather than arms. We want to stop wasting of resources that could be invested in roads, schools, hospitals and development, in other things," said Erdogan.

Replying to criticism of the opposition that the initiative would cause "ethnic separation" in the country, Erdogan said Turkey's unity was not being opened to discussion, expressing their sole intention as bringing peace to the country.

Urging all parties to voice their opinions sincerely in order to find a consensus, Erdogan called on everyone to acknowledge the gravity of the issue and avoid exploiting the process for political interests.


AA