Speaking to reporters in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, Erdoğan assessed the recent developments in the region and said that Iran was an important country in the region.
"We believe there should be cooperation, not polarization, in the region. We support dialogue and diplomacy in solution of the problem about Iran's nuclear program. During the solution process, Iran should be given the right of having civil nuclear energy with peaceful means. On the other hand, we want the Middle East to be turned into a region which is purified from nuclear weapons," said Erdoğan.
Noting that Lebanon was another country which had a critical importance in the region, Erdoğan said that Lebanon's peace and stability concerned the whole region.
Erdoğan said that establishment of national consensus government in Lebanon in the end of 2009 was an important step to settle peace and stability in that country. He added that consultations and coordination between Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Syria also became influential in reaching this result.
