ANKARA
Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told in his interview to British newspaper, The Guardian, "The protests began as a peaceful environmental movement opposing a government plan for development."
He touched onto the protests and said, "Unfortunately, violent extremist groups hijacked their democratic demands. No democratic government would allow any illegal or illegitimate group to undermine public order, attack the police and destroy public and private property", and added, "Gezi protests have been exploited to convey doubts about Turkey's ascension to the highest rank of democratic economies."
The Guardian newspaper shared Turkish minister's interview in regards to top Turkish agenda topic, the Gezi Park protests on their website.
Titled, "Turkey: despite the protests, we represent all of our citizens", The Guardian article quoted Davutoglu as saying, "The AK party has built a robust democracy, and allowing the initially peaceful protests in Gezi Park reflects our achievement."
Davutoglu told The Guardian, "From the moment the AK party came to power we have striven to achieve a stable and just system in which all segments of our society enjoy their basic rights under the rule of law" and said, "It has not been easy – we have had to overcome myriad hurdles, including several aborted coup attempts and efforts to remove the party and its leaders through arbitrary and politicised legal proceedings."
Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoglu underlined the challenges and said, "We have firmly embraced democratic principles, relied on the wisdom of public opinion, and acted within the law. We have viewed ourselves not as the rulers of a country, but as the servants of democracy chosen by and serving the people."
"The power of our citizens allows us to govern. This is the main reason the party has earned successive electoral victories," said Turkish minister.
Minister Davutoglu stated that there had been some mistakes in the use of force against the protesters, and added that the government expressed regret for it. "Investigations into these incidents are under way, and those responsible are already being held accountable," he said.
