Jordan's Crown Prince stresses respect for human rights

Crown Prince Hassan of Jordan stressed in Turkey that respect for human rights is a basis for security and stability in the Middle East.

Addressing a meeting of the Atlantic initiative group in Istanbul, Hassan said, "The term security should include economic and human needs."

Crown Prince Hassan spoke at the conference while making an unexpected two-day visit to Turkey. He returned home yesterday.

The Istanbul conference discussed ways to contribute to the building of peace and stability in the Middle East not only in terms of Israeli security, petrodollars and weapon sales. Crown Prince Hassan criticized selective approaches to dealing with regional issues, citing weapons of mass destruction as an example.

During his visit to Turkey, Jordan's Crown Prince discussed regional issues with Turkey's president and foreign minister.