Erdoğan urges D-8 states to take active stance for region's stability

"No one, no country has the right to remain a bystander to the bloodshed in the region and to support more innocent blood to be spilt," Erdoğan said at a summit of the D-8 in Islamabad, Pakistan. He did not name any country but his criticism appeared to be targeting Iran, which supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian conflict.

"I am inviting D-8 group members to take a more effective stance against issues that threaten peace and prosperity of all countries in our region. No single country can maintain stability and economic development on its own in a region of wars, conflicts, terrorism and disputes," Erdoğan said in the closing session of the summit of the D-8 member countries.

The D-8 group comprises Iran, Turkey, Egypt, Malaysia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh and Indonesia.

Erdoğan said D-8 group members could play an effective role in overcoming the global economic crisis, adding that D-8 members needed to boost cooperation and solidarity among themselves.

"Every nation in the world, including developed ones, should review their economic understanding based on consumption, greed and self-interest. I believe that, as the D-8, we could assume a pioneering role in shaping this new perception," Erdoğan said, adding that D-8 countries bear a responsibility towards each other.

In Pakistan, Erdoğan also had a five-way talk with the presidents of Pakistan, Iran and Indonesia and the Egyptian vice president on the sidelines of the summit.

The meeting was closed to the press and lasted for an hour and a half. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Egyptian Vice President Mahmoud Mekki attended the meeting that discussed the latest situation in Gaza and the 20-month-long crisis in Syria. There was no statement after the meeting.

It was reported earlier on Thursday that Erdoğan would have a three-way meeting with Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi and Ahmadinejad, but that plan had to be changed when it became clear Morsi had remained in Egypt and sent his vice president to the D-8 summit instead.

Earlier this week, an Iranian news report stated that the top officials of Iran, Turkey and Egypt will hold a meeting on the sidelines of the D-8 summit in Pakistan to discuss the current crisis in Syria, despite Ankara and Tehran finding themselves increasingly at odds over the civil war in Syria.  

A Turkish diplomatic official who spoke to Today's Zaman on condition of anonymity then did not deny the report and added that Turkey was making preparations for the meeting. "It is still not definite whether the meeting will take place. If some logistical problems occur at the last moment, the meeting may not take place. But in any case, Turkey is making the necessary preparations for the meeting,” said the official.

Erdoğan and Ahmadinejad had an unscheduled meeting on Nov. 8 on the sidelines of the 5th Bali Democracy Forum in Bali, Indonesia. The two leaders walked together for a while after meeting by chance at the forum venue, reportedly discussing Syria along the way. The two leaders recently also had a surprise meeting on the sidelines of a summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) in Baku, where Syria was the primary topic of discussion, which lasted for about 40 minutes.

Following his meeting with Ahmadinejad in Baku, Erdoğan suggested three-way talks with Egypt and Iran on the Syria crisis, given the apparent Saudi objection to Iranian involvement in talks of a quartet of regional powers, proposed by Egypt, regarding the 20-month-long conflict. Turkish officials said they had planned to hold the three-way meeting when Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr visited Ankara on Nov. 9, but Salehi said he would not be able to attend due to a conflicting schedule.

Prior to Erdoğan's suggestion, Egypt formed a group with Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, but that initiative ran into trouble when Saudi Arabia skipped two ministerial meetings, apparently due to disagreements with Iran, a close ally of the Syrian regime.

Erdoğan's proposal for regional talks on resolving the Syrian crisis does not include only Egypt and Iran, but also involves three-party talks among Turkey, Iran and Russia; and Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Russia, a strong supporter of the Syrian regime, has announced backing for the proposal, but there has been no statement to date as to when the planned talks are to begin.