At a Riyadh ceremony during which Saudi King Abdallah awarded Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan the King Faisal International Prize for Service to Islam, Saudi Interior Minister Prince Naif bin Abd Al-Aziz said that the awarding of the prize to Erdogan attested to his status.
Erdogan responded that the message of peace must be expressed loud and clear, and at a press conference following the ceremony noted that Israel and Syria had agreed to return to talks sponsored by Turkey, and that his government was prepared for them.
He expressed regret over the U.S. Congress vote on the Armenian genocide, calling it "comical."
With regard to Iran, Erdogan expressed doubt regarding the effectiveness of the sanctions, and said that the only way was a diplomatic solution.
He added that Turkey was striving to establish a joint strategic council with Saudi Arabia.
Sources: Al-Watan, Al-Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, March 10, 2010
