Turkish prime minister says Mubarak's actions insufficient

Wed, 02 Feb 2011

Istanbul - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday called for Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak to take immediate steps for democracy, saying his actions so far were insufficient, the semi-official Anatolia Agency reported.

Erdogan categorized Mubarak's announcement Tuesday night that he would not stand for re-election after his term ends in September as inadequate in the face of the Egyptian people's demands for change.

"Mubarak is now expected to take a very different step; this is the people's expectation. The current administration is not inspiring confidence for a quick transition to democracy," Erdogan said.

Erdogan made his comments at a press conference in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, where he was meeting with his Kyrgyz counterpart Almazbek Arambayev on an official visit.

His remarks came a day after he first called on Mubarak to recognize the Egyptian people's demands for change and democracy - the first public statement from Turkey's leadership on the political unrest in Egypt.

In his statement Wednesday, Erdogan urged Mubarak to announce a road map and calendar for a transition to democracy and emphasized the need for a transitional government.

Erdogan added that he was only expressing his view as an outsider and that it was not his right or intention to interfere in Egypt's internal affairs.

In recent statements, Turkish leaders have said Turkey should serve as a democratic model for other countries in the Middle East.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/365474,minister-mubaraks-actions-insufficient.html.