Tunisian party leader wishes Turkey to chair OIC

TUNIS (A.A) - March 14, 2012 - The head of Tunisia's Ennahda Party, one of pioneers of the January 14 Jasmine Revolution, expressed wish on Wednesday that Turkey should chair the Islamic conference. Rashid Ghannoushi said he wished Turkey to have an important place in the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC). "I want Turkey to chair the organization," Ghannoushi told AA correspondent in an exclusive interview in Tunis. Ghannoushi said if Turkey was stronger, it could establish strong relations, and defined Turkey as a strong and powerful country. "If you join the European Union (EU), you will strengthen it, and if you turn your back to Europe and you head the Islam world, you will also become stronger," Ghannoushi said.  Ghannoushi said Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad was a monster, and noted that he should surrender and spend the rest of his life in prison. Rashid Ghannoushi said people had seen that dictatorship had not been beneficial to them, and were willing to live as a Muslim but they also wanted to live freely, Ghannoushi said. Ghannoushi also said Islam and freedom, Islam and democracy, Islam and wisdom, Islam and human rights were all the same. Rashid Ghannoushi is heading Tunisia's Ennahda Party that came to power in the first free elections held in this country after January 14 Jasmine Revolution. Ghannoushi came to power after serving 17 years in prison, however he has not taken over the prime ministry.