“WE PROVIDED MEDICAL SUPPLIES TO 155 COUNTRIES AND NINE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS”
Noting that the pandemic process showed how weak the economically strong countries were in terms of medical infrastructure and social security, President Erdoğan said Turkey, however, performed well in the COVID-19 pandemic, and said: “With the understanding that a friend in need is a friend indeed, we provided medical supplied to 155 countries and nine international organizations that asked our country for assistance. We provided this assistance not as an act of public diplomacy but as a requirement of our faith, culture and entrepreneurial and humanitarian foreign policy approach.”
“WE CANNOT STOP INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS’ LOSS OF PRESTIGE UNLESS WE REVISE OUR MENTALITY IN LINE WITH THE NEW ERA’S CIRCUMSTANCES”
Underlining that the inertia in international organizations became more visible during the pandemic, President Erdoğan said: “We cannot stop international organizations’ loss of prestige unless we revise our mentality, institutions and rules in line with the circumstances of the new era. The current global system, which protects the mighty rather than those who are right, a handful of minority rather than the majority, and the rich rather than the poor, cannot continue as it is.”
Turkey will make efforts to enhance the effectiveness of such multinational organizations as the OIC, D-8, Turkic Council, BSEC, all of which Turkey is a member of, said the President. “We have been working selflessly to make our country one of the founding decision-makers of the new era,” further stressed President Erdoğan, adding: “We have been defending our national interests without compromising our principles and ancient values. We have taken matters into our own hands at a time when the long-standing alliance ties are being sacrificed for the ambitions of terrorist organizations, the apostles of democracy are trampling on democracy and everyone is fending for themselves.”
Drawing attention to Turkey’s fight against terrorist organizations in Syria and Iraq as well as Ankara’s support for the legitimate government in Libya and its efforts to protect its rights and benefits in the Eastern Mediterranean, President Erdoğan said: “We hope the EU may recover as soon as possible from its strategic blindness which estranges Turkey from the union. It is now clear that the language of blackmail and threat doesn’t work at all. Our proposal for a conference, in which all the littoral states in the Eastern Mediterranean including the Turkish Cypriots are to participate, reflects our will to resolve the problem through dialogue. 405 billion cubic meters natural gas reserve which we discovered in the Black Sea has further reinforced that will of ours. I believe we will soon receive good news from our research activities in the Eastern Mediterranean as well.”
“ISLAMOPHOBIA IS PROMOTED AT PRESIDENTIAL LEVEL”
Turkey needs to be strong not only to defend its own interests but also to safeguard the rights of its friends as well as its brothers and sisters, the President stressed.
Reiterating Turkey’s support for Azerbaijan which is fighting to save its lands under Armenia’s occupation, President Erdoğan, underscoring that the Minsk Group has yet to find a solution in the face of the 28-year-long oppression by Armenia, said Turkey’s joy and hopes have further risen with the liberation of Shusha, and that the struggle will not end until the occupation in Nagorno-Karabakh is over.
Also touching upon the attacks on Muslims and Turks in different countries of the world, particularly in Europe, President Erdoğan said: “Almost every day we get reports of harassments towards Turkish and Muslim mosques, masjids, schools or workplaces. Islamophobia is promoted and supported at presidential level, and despicable attacks are carried out on sacred values of Muslims under the pretext of freedom of thought. Fighting Islamophobia is a necessity of both our faith and our responsibility towards our citizens abroad.”
“TURKEY IS ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST PRINCIPLED COUNTRIES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST TERROR”
Underscoring that Turkey is the only country that fights hand-to-hand against DAESH, President Erdoğan noted that he cannot make sense of the fact that the foreign terrorists deported by Turkey freely carry out acts in western countries.
President Erdoğan said: “It is totally worthless that those, who have not expressed the slightest sorrow for our hundreds of teachers martyred by the PKK terror or host the ringleaders of YPG on red carpets in their palaces, question our attitude. Turkey is one of the world’s most principled and most determined countries in the fight against terror. We will continue to respond to accusations we face with steps that will contribute to global peace and stability.”
“WE HAVE ASSUMED THE TERM PRESIDENCY OF SEVEN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS THIS YEAR”
Pointing to Turkey’s active role in international organizations, President Erdoğan stated: “We have turned our Mediation for Peace initiative into a brand within the United Nations, OSCE and the OIC. Our Alliance of Civilizations Initiative has become a UN initiative. The fact that our brother Ambassador Volkan Bozkır has been elected as the President of the 75th UN General Assembly with the support of the vast majority of the member countries shows that the confidence put in Turkey and the Turkish diplomacy has reached the highest level. Our diplomats assume high-level posts not only in the UN but also in NATO, OSCE, UNESCO and the OIC. Thanks be to Allah, we have assumed the term presidency of seven international organizations this year alone.”
Source : tccb.gov.tr/en
