“I am said to have uttered the words “neo-Ottoman” to describe ourselves at a gathering, according to a daily newspaper today. I never used this kind of expression at any platform, neither inside nor outside Turkey.” 

It was also published that I went to Baghdad when in fact I was here in Kizilcahamam. Some of my statements are indeed correctly sourced from Kızılcahamam, and I followed them from here. Just like the Baghdad news, some news was reflected as if they were heard directly from me although all conversations were conducted behind closed doors. All these indicate how statements can be broken off from their direct meaning and can thus be misunderstood. In one of the newspapers, it is said that “I am a neo-Ottoman”. I shall never use this kind of expression at any platform, neither inside Turkey nor outside Turkey. We are very sensitive on this issue. When someone uses this expression (Neo-Ottomanism) I say again and again that we don’t find that it is correct.

It is not acceptable to make use of the expression ‘Neo-Ottomanism’ as it is used outside Turkey or understood in Turkey. The Turkish Republic is a modern nation state. It has  diplomatic relations based on an understanding of equal status and equality with all the neighboring countries. Medium or small, we establish equal relations with the every country of the Middle East, of the Balkans and the Caucasus that happen to be within the old Ottoman geography. This is our understanding. This is also the necessity of the modern diplomacy. This is just an example. The statements that were on the newspapers are disengaged from its direct meaning; these expressions do not reflect the truth.