President Erdogan: "For those who think they can create a terrorist state in our region, this is a great illusion."
President Erdogan: "For those who think they can create a terrorist state in our region, this is a great illusion."
Erdogan said: "For those who think they can create a terrorist state in our region, this is a great illusion and will never be realized."
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan answered questions from Newsweek magazine.
Answering the question about what messages he conveyed on behalf of Turkey, the second largest military power of the Alliance, at the NATO summit held in Washington, the capital of the United States, at a difficult time, Erdogan recalled that Turkey is an important member of NATO and that it actively participates in the operations and missions of the Alliance.
Erdogan said Turkey's main goal is to strengthen solidarity with its NATO allies and find sustainable solutions to problems that threaten the region and the world with common sense.
Assessing that "new problems arise" every day in a changing world, Erdogan said that for this reason they believe that NATO should be prepared, determined and strong.
Erdogan said that at the NATO meetings it was emphasized that terrorism is one of the most acute global problems, and continued:
"We are a country that takes on the mission of fighting terrorist organizations without discrimination and clearly shows this on the ground. Our main expectation from our allies is that they will adopt a similar approach to fighting terrorism. Unfortunately, so far we have not received the expected level of support and solidarity from our allies."
Pointing out that such a situation cannot be tolerated, Erdogan said: "Accepting the leaders of terrorist organizations that pose a threat to Turkey's national security as legitimate actors does not coincide with the spirit of the alliance."
Noting that Turkey has taken a holistic approach to these and similar security risks, President Erdogan said, "We are offering sustainable solutions that serve not only our own security, but also the security of our allies."
Also noting that Turkey does not make the mistake of ignoring some problems and focusing on one issue, Erdogan said it would be better to approach problems in the region and the world based on principles rather than subjective and short-term interests.
"Our position (the Russian-Ukrainian war) is only in favor of peace"
Answering a question about the "potential for direct conflict" between NATO and Russia, President Erdogan recalled that Turkey had stated from the very beginning that it would not be a party to this war.
Erdogan said: "Our position is only in favor of peace. The solution is not further bloodshed and suffering, but permanent peace achieved through dialogue." said.
Stating that the situation has brought Ukraine more harm than good and that Turkey is in dialogue with both countries to achieve peace, Erdogan continued as follows:
"By bringing the parties together in Antalya and Istanbul, we have contributed to the creation of a critically important dialogue path to solve problems. The Black Sea Grain Initiative and our grain supplies from there were much more than just economic and logistical activities. We do not believe that limiting this war to the victory or defeat of only one side is the solution. We believe that the solution lies in dialogue and diplomacy."
Stressing that bloodshed and the destruction of settlements will not bring lasting peace, Erdogan said: "The possibility of a direct conflict between NATO and Russia is undoubtedly a cause for concern. Any steps that could lead to such a result should be deliberately avoided. We believe that it is appropriate to approach this issue with a solution-oriented and balanced approach."
"We are a NATO country. A threat to our national security is a threat to all NATO countries, especially the United States."
When asked about his diplomacy with Russian President Vladimir Putin, despite the fact that they are on different sides of the conflict, including Syria, Libya and even Ukraine to a certain extent, Erdogan said:
"We stand for a principled approach in all the regions you mentioned. We approach problems not with principles generated by hidden plans and emotional reactions, but with sincere and realistic roadmaps. We are moving forward, voicing what is right and what is wrong. It is impossible to move forward with sensitive processes without approaching them calmly."
Stating that Turkey approaches problems not from the point of view of politics, which is in thrall to prejudice, but from the point of view that focuses on solutions, Erdogan said: "Naturally, we do not agree with Mr. Putin on everything. However, we can discuss the problems among ourselves and discuss in detail how to solve them."
Erdogan answered a question about his relationship with U.S. President Joe Biden on various issues such as sanctions, FETÖ and human rights in U.S.-Turkish relations:
"First of all, the structure headed by the FETÖ leader in the United States is not an innocent movement, it is a terrorist organization, like Daesh, which has committed terrorist acts in various parts of the world. Both Daesh and FETÖ are killing people. Both Daesh and FETÖ exploit people's religious feelings. Both DAESH and FETÖ seek to harm the countries in which they operate. FETÖ seeks to infiltrate the governments of the countries in which it operates and take control of the system. This includes the United States. We explained to the US presidents the danger of this structure with concrete evidence. But Mr. Biden and I have different views on this."
Stating that he and Biden also have different views on human rights, Erdogan said: "We believe that the brutal killing of innocent people by Israel in hospitals, ambulances, markets, in centers where humanitarian aid is distributed, and in areas designated as safe, is the most serious violation of human rights. However, the US administration ignores these violations and provides the greatest support to Israel. He does this by complicity in these violations."
Pointing out that the fight against terrorism is another source of concern, President Erdogan continued:
"We are a NATO country. A threat to our national security is a threat to all NATO countries, especially the United States. In fact, the agreements that led to the creation and continued existence of NATO prove this situation. However, the support provided by the United States and some of our other allies to the PKK/PYD/YPG and FETÖ terrorist organizations that threaten our security is incompatible with these NATO principles. We have expressed our concern about the weapons and support provided to these terrorists on all platforms. We would like the support of our allies in the fight against these terrorists, but we do not see this in full."
Noting that the United States and Turkey can agree on some issues, Erdogan said: "After all, we are two allied countries. Mr. Biden and I have developed relations between our countries, which are related to what we agree and disagree on. We can talk about a relationship that fluctuates between periods of calm and unrest."
Stating that they always maintain sincerity in their relations with Biden and take care of developing friendship, Erdogan said: "Turkey and the United States are two allies with long—standing relations. We have deep ties and we intend to develop them."
"We are a committed NATO ally, but we do not believe that this situation hinders our ability to build positive relations with countries such as China and Russia."
Answering the question about Turkey's diversification of its global relations as a member of NATO, its relations with BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and whether it will become a member of these organizations, Erdogan replied that it would be wrong to approach these issues with the logic of the Cold War era and that it is no longer experienced in the cold war.
Erdogan said that the world has changed a lot and that Turkey is a country that is aware of these changes, and that they maintain diplomatic relations based on the principle of "win-win".
Noting that Turkey acts on the principle that the countries with which it has relations must also win, Erdogan said: "We are both in the East and in the West. We are a committed NATO ally, but we do not believe that this has hindered our ability to build positive relationships with countries such as China and Russia. We do not believe that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is an alternative to NATO. Similarly, we do not consider BRICS as an alternative to any other structure. We consider all these structures and territories of the alliance as formations with different functions."
Erdogan pointed out that it will be difficult to find countries in the world that do not have relations with each other, including with warring parties, and stated that the establishment and development of relations is a necessity for states.
Stating that there is no need for any explanation of where a world in which sharp poles are created and all nations are limited by their own borders will lead, Erdogan stressed that this painful experience is obvious to those who study the two world wars in history.
Erdogan also noted that Turkey is in a unique position in this regard, maintaining and strengthening its position as a reliable partner among all structures.
For this reason, as a NATO member, they do not see a problem in interacting with the countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS, the European Union or the Organization of Turkic States, Erdogan said, adding that these relations even contribute to world peace.
"Racism, xenophobia and anti-Islamic approaches can never be justified"
As for his approach to the rise of the far right across Europe, Erdogan said he had expressed this threat on every platform for years, not just in response to some European election results.
Erdogan added that, unfortunately, in some countries, almost all political figures are trying to collect votes through racist, anti-Islamic, xenophobic rhetoric, fearing populism during election periods, and that they have seen such examples over the years, and that such behavior continues despite warnings.
Noting that the seeds of these wrong views sown in Europe at that time began to germinate, Erdogan said that despite this danger, there are still those who demonstrate such discourses and populist behavior.
Pointing out that these approaches violate the norms of the countries, Erdogan said:
"People have come to believe that this approach is normative and logical, and they are starting to prefer people who are the main architects of racist discourse to those who use it only during the election season. I think that this situation will not be limited to anti-immigrant or racist rhetoric, but that Europe is facing a much greater threat. This suggests that the concept of European integration is losing ground, and opponents of the current European order are finding increasing support in society. This is due to the fact that European politicians violate their own values and distort them for various purposes. This situation leads to the fact that the far-right goes through the door opened by their double standards and ignores human rights violations for various reasons. However, racism, xenophobia and anti-Islamic sentiments can never be justified."
"The situation between Israel and the Gaza Strip is not a war, but an attack that leads to mass killings"
Asked about the events in Gaza, Erdogan said: "The situation between Israel and Gaza is not a war; these are Israeli attacks that ignore human rights and international law and ultimately lead to mass killings. In Gaza, Palestinians defend only their homes, streets and homeland. For several days, Israel has been deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure in Gaza, where civilians live and take shelter. We have been against this since day one."
Pointing out that Israel's attacks on Gaza did not begin on October 7, 2023, Erdogan said:
"For many years, Israel has treated Gaza as an open-air prison. They use terrorist thieves, whom they call settlers, to usurp Palestinian homes, businesses and agricultural land. Think about it: someone comes to your house with an Israeli soldier, kicks you out, and tells you that your house now belongs to him. This is what is happening in Palestine. Israel has been carrying out systematic State terrorism in the Palestinian territories for many years. Israel is violating international law. What happened to the UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza? Israel didn't even care about this decision, let alone implement it. Who and what sanctions will now be imposed against Israel for violating international law? This is a real question, and no one is answering it. We demand an immediate end to these attacks, Israel's withdrawal from Gaza and the uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. We want the two-State solution based on the 1967 borders to be implemented for lasting peace in the region. It is necessary to put an end to Israel's threats to the countries of the region, especially Lebanon, and its attempts to spread conflicts to the region. Otherwise, our region will face the risk of deeper conflicts and even war."
"We strive to create a climate of peace in Syria"
Erdogan answered the question about Turkey's vision of resolving the Syrian crisis and the US military presence in the region as follows:
"We are the country most affected by the conflict in Syria, our neighbor. The US supports terrorists in Syria, not the Kurds. We support the Syrian Kurds and defend their rights. The PKK/PYD/YPG terrorist organization carries out terrorist acts in the region under the cover of the SDF. In particular, it persecutes the Syrian Kurds. It is these US-backed terrorists who threaten Kurds, Arabs and Turkmens in the region and drive them from their lands.
The PKK/PYD/YPG terrorist organization uses the support provided under the pretext of "fighting ISIS" to attack Turkey and Syria. We are the ones who are fighting ISIS in the real sense. We are the only NATO ally that has entered into a close conflict with ISIS. We strive to create a climate of peace in Syria. The solution to all these conflicts is a new social cohesion in Syria based on territorial integrity. Our main desire is for Syria to be not a piece of land where regional and global powers are fighting for weapons, but a prosperous state completely free from terrorism and ruled by Syrians."
Regarding the presence of terrorist organizations in Syria and whether NATO has received sufficient support in the fight against instability, Erdogan said: "There are terrorists on the side of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, not Kurdish rebels. They do not represent any ethnic or religious group. Both terrorist organizations directly represent terrorism and its nefarious goals. We have no problems with the Kurdish population in Syria or Iraq. We have a problem with terrorists, and we are very close to solving this problem by neutralizing terrorists. For those who think they can create a terrorist state in our region, this is a dream and will never come true. When the day comes, our Syrian guests will leave the war behind and voluntarily return to their country. We will step up our efforts for this purpose."
Noting that some NATO allies, unfortunately, not only do not support them, but have also witnessed approaches and actions that further complicate Turkey's work, Erdogan said: "We continue to keep the situation under control inside and outside our borders and implement our solution strategy, intervening when and in that to the extent necessary."