Turkish president issues New Year's message

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an issued a New Year's message on Dec. 31, in which he reviewed domestic and international developments throughout the year.

Erdo?an said Turkey chose the continuation of stability and security in the Nov. 1 snap polls after the June 7 general elections, expressing his wishes for a beneficial service throughout the coming period. 

Speaking on international issues, Erdo?an said developments in the region related to Syria were the cause of many problems including the separatist terror organization, a term used for the outlawed Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK).

"Our country does not have eyes on any country's soil or sovereignty. We only want the people of the region, who are historically and culturally our brothers, to live in peace and security. Turkey is not responsible for the developments in Iraq, Egypt, Libya and Palestine as well as in Syria. We have no other aim than the security and peace of our brothers living in the region, and will not have," Erdo?an said, adding the country currently hosts a total of 2.5 million people who have migrated from Syria and other part of the region as the civil war in Syria enters its fifth year. 

The president also reviewed the Nov. 24 downing of a Russian warplane near the Syrian border, saying that Turkey had never favored tension.

"The tension on the Syrian border for a while resulted in the downing of an unknown jet which disregarded warnings and violated our airspace. We, as Turkey, had never favored tension. However, we could not have tolerated the violation of our sovereign rights in a region where tension is at the highest level," Erdo?an said.

Erdo?an also commented on the recent PKK attacks in the country's eastern and southeastern...