Turkey firm in supporting poorest countries: Deputy FM

By Emin Avundukluoglu

ANTALYA (AA) - Turkey's Deputy Foreign Minister Naci Koru said Friday Turkey takes up its commitments to support cooperation with least-developed countries (LDCs) in every possible area.

Speaking in Turkey’s Mediterranean resort of Antalya, at the UN's Midterm Review Conference of the Istanbul Program of Action for Least-Developed Countries, Koru touted Turkey's support for students, saying, "4,195 students from least developed countries take advantage of Turkish government scholarships."

Koru said that a total of 2,612 students from LDCs are seeking bachelor’s degree, 1,093 master’s degrees, and 455 doctorates in Turkey, in such areas as engineering, medicine, and agriculture.

Citing the UN's slogan for LDCs, "Leave No One Behind," Koru said: "The international community will take common action to reach sustainable development for LDCs."

Koru said that Turkey will never spare efforts to reach sustainable development for LDCs. "We take up our commitments to support cooperation with least-developed countries in every possible area."

The three-day conference in Antalya is a comprehensive review of how the 2011 Istanbul Program of Action has been implemented.

That program, passed at the Fourth UN Conference on Least-Developed Countries, charts out the international community’s strategy for sustainable development through 2021, with a strong focus on developing LDCs’ productive capacities.

Friday’s conference was co-organized by the UN Population Fund and the UN Office of the High Representative for Least Developed Countries.

It aims at creating sustainable growth in a total of 48 countries which account for 12 percent of the world's population.

Topics to be covered include: production capacity; agriculture; food security and rural development; fiscal resources; trade; economic diversification; and human and social development.