If we look at history, we will see that regimes which persecute [their people] do not remain standing.

There is no moderate or immoderate Islam. Islam is Islam and that's it.

The best examples of lies can be found there. To me, social media is the worst menace to society.

According to this view, democracy is a product of western culture, and it cannot be applied to the Middle East which has a different cultural, religious, sociological and historical background.

The knife in the hand of a murderer kills, but if you give it to a doctor he will heal with it.

We will not leave this nation at the mercy of YouTube and Facebook.

My own daughters weren't able to study in Turkey because of their headscarves, so they went to the United States.

But foremost, I do not subscribe to the view that Islamic culture and democracy cannot be reconciled.

It is impossible to preserve my friendship with people who are allegedly leaders when they are attacking their own people, shooting at them, using tanks and other forms of heavy weaponry.

As a politician who cherishes religious conviction in his personal sphere, but regards politics as a domain belonging outside religion, I believe that this view is seriously flawed.

However, democracy cannot be defined as the existence of parliaments and elections alone.

A lot of things you see as a child remain with you... you spend a lot of your life trying to recapture the experience.

I write between 5.30am and 9.00. That way, I hope I carry over something from my dream time.

Each moment that passes changes you...You can't even own yourself. How can you ever hope to own anyone or anything else.

Self-respect leads to self-discipline.

Wherever there are four walls, consciousness of direction is far keener.

It always seems to me better to slough off the answer to a question that I consider to be a terrible invasion of privacy - the kind of privacy that a writer must keep for himself.

Our household is built on love and respect. And we don't really let negative vibes stay too long. It's worked out. I got a great family, great kids.

I have the universe on my chin.

The world cannot be successfully fooled for all time.

I like to make people look as good as they'd like to look, and with luck, a shade better.