Türkiye expects solidarity of int'l actors in fight against terror: Erdoğan

ANKARA

Stressing that Türkiye needs solidarity in its fight against terrorism, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan underlined that removing terrorism from the agenda of humanity is among their main duties.

“With this motto, we continue our fight without discrimination against all forms of terrorism, especially PKK, PYD, YPG, FETÖ and DAESH. We are aware of the attempts to make the separatist terrorist organization flourish with word games, diplomatic and military trickery, and we follow them one by one,” Erdoğan said addressing foreign ambassadors in Ankara at an iftar dinner on April 4.

Türkiye will put all this before the concerned parties when the time comes, Erdoğan said adding that the country did not allow being surrounded by a terror corridor and would not allow new attempts.

“We will continue to implement our strategy to eliminate the terrorist threats to our country at their sources. We hope that the atmosphere created recently with Greece in the eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean is used as an opportunity to resolve problems. As has always been the case, we are supporting the steps that contribute to peace and stability in the Balkans,” he said.

Despite “countless injustices” Türkiye has been exposed to, European Union membership remains a strategic goal for Ankara, the president underlined.

“Yet, turning a blind eye to the acts that fuel Islamophobia in some European countries is worrisome in terms of our future. These despicable acts, which include even burning the Quran, our holy book, are in no way acceptable or excusable. This is a clear and definite hate crime,” he said.

Those, who allow the holy book to be burned under the pretext of freedom of thought, undermine the notions of democracy and freedom, he said and underlined that it is high time to put an end to these “nefarious acts, which not only offend 2 billion people but also infuriate them.”

Stating that Türkiye maintains a close dialogue with its NATO ally U.S., Erdoğan said, “Making use of the Strategic Mechanism between the two countries, we enhance our cooperation.”

Erdoğan pointed at the dialogue he had been carrying on with the Russian and Ukrainian presidents since the start of the Ukrainian war.

“I work sincerely for the conflicts to end. I believe that a just peace, which will provide both sides with a dignified exit and pull our region out of the whirlpool it has been dragged into, is possible,” he said.

Not only the Russia-Ukraine crisis but also the chronic problems in Palestine, Syria, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia are awaiting resolutions, he said.

“And yet, the international community hesitates to display the will that would handle crises. The unjust structure of organizations that are responsible for ensuring global security lies behind this picture that makes deadlocks seem ordinary,” the president noted.

By saying, “the World is bigger than five,” Ankara has been drawing attention to this “injustice and crookedness,” he said.

“The current order, which protects the powerful, disregards the rights of the weak and confines humanity’s fate to the mercy of five countries, is not sustainable. The United Nations Security Council urgently needs to be reformed with a comprehensive and inclusive approach. Unfortunately, innocent people continue to pay the price for each day we fail to take a step regarding this issue,” he said.