RIO DE JANEIRO
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey has been pursuing an active policy for prosperity, tranquility and stability in the region.
Erdogan delivered a speech at a meeting on the least developed countries and Rio+20 on the sidelines of Rio+20 summit. There have been clashes, terrorism, war, poverty and migration in the region near Turkey, he said.
The number of Syrians fleeing clashes in their country and entering Turkey exceeded 31,000, he said. "We cannot close the door to these people. It is a responsibility and a matter of humanity," he said.
Erdogan said that they speeded up efforts for cooperation with developing countries, stating that Turkey's net official development assistance rose by 38 percent 1.3 billion US dollars in 2011.
Erdogan said his government committed to support Turkish businessmen to boost investments to 10 billion U.S. dollars in the least developed countries by 2020, he said.