Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is known for making grandiose statements that eventually turn around and haunt him. His “zero problems with neighbors” slogan, which he coined as foreign minister, is a case in point. The slogan was used against him as Turkey’s ties with its neighbors got progressively worse due to serious policy mistakes by his government.

But this has not deterred Davutoglu from making what many consider blatantly exaggerated remarks. Meeting with the editors-in-chief of major Turkish dailies on Sept. 14 in Istanbul, Davutoglu displayed his beliefs once again.

Referring to his Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) vision for 2023 — the centenary of the founding of the Turkish Republic — he said their target was “to make Turkey a global power in terms of its universal democracy.”

This would be his vision for the next nine years, during which he clearly hopes to remain in power. It is no wonder that many have taken Davutoglu’s remark with a grain of salt, considering the negative picture Turkey currently presents to the world in terms of its democracy.