TURKEY'S FOREIGN MINISTER ATTENDS INTERNATIONAL DONORS CONFERENCE FOR DARFUR

CAIRO (A.A) - 22.03.2010 - An international donors conference in Egyptian capital Cairo raised 850 million USD for projects on water, health care, housing, education and rural development in Darfur, Sudan.
The one-day conference was organized by 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and co-chaired by Turkey and Egypt. Representatives from the United States, European nations, UN agencies and aid groups were also in attendance at the conference.
Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said following the conference, "today's conference was very successful. We think that the international community cannot remain indifferent in the face of developments in Darfur. We should ensure a political compromise between Sudanese government and the groups in Darfur. Then, a comprehensive peace deal will be discussed. We attach great importance to stability, peace and prosperity of Sudan since it is one of the biggest countries in the African continent," he said. 
Referring to upcoming election in Sudan in April, Davutoglu said, "we will extend full support to the election. We believe that a democratic and transparent election will make significant contribution to the political process in the country."
Davutoglu said that Turkey had donated some 150 million USD to Darfur so far. "We will provide some 70 million USD in the future. We will maintain our support to Sudanese people."
Upon a question about Jerusalem, Davutoglu said, "we consider Jerusalem as a heritage for whole humanity. We attach great importance to preservation of Jerusalem's cultural identity as well as Muslim places especially al Aqsa Mosque atop Temple Mount." 
During the conference, the biggest donors were Brazil, the Islamic Bank for Development, Qatar and Turkey. Other countries pledged hundreds of millions of dollars to finance development projects.
The fighting in Darfur, which began with a 2003 rebellion by groups accusing the government of neglecting the western province, has come to an end past year and peace talks are under way in the Gulf state of Qatar. Many of those displaced, however, are still living in camps and their future is one of the central unresolved issues. An estimated 300,000 people lost their lives to violence, disease and displacement.