‘Turkey will not allow sectarian war in Mideast’

Delivering a speech in Sakarya on Wednesday at a conference organized by the Turkish Directorate of Religious Affairs to discuss the international duties of the directorate, Davutoğlu asserted that some actors in the region may seek to exploit and deepen these sectarian tensions to achieve their own ends and would prefer the polarization of Muslims in the Middle East.

Davutoğlu noted that the latest developments, which cover a wide area of the Middle East, including Syria, Bahrain, Lebanon and Egypt, point to the likelihood of all-out sectarian strife. He highlighted that in order to avert potential sectarian conflict in the region, Turkey should display its impartial and respectful attitude towards religious groups through a considered course of action led by the directorate.“We will not allow another cold war in our region.”