President Recep Tayyip Erdogan answered questions from journalists, including TVNET Economy Chief Semra Karabas, following the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Heads of State Summit held in Kyrgyzstan.
Regarding Trkiye’s potential membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Erdogan said, ‘Everyone now sees that the vast geography stretching from China to Central Asia, and from Russia to South Asia, offers major commercial and economic opportunities for Trkiye. It is also possible, from our perspective, to take relations with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to higher levels in the period ahead. I would especially like to underline one point. Trkiye’s perspective on membership in the organization in no way means breaking away from one bloc or turning its back on the West. Our goal is to increase our own weight with a 360-degree vision.’
Asked about the ‘framework law’ adopted as part of the ‘Terror-Free Trkiye’ process and the disarmament of the organization, Erdogan said: ‘In such cases, it is not possible to give a specific time frame, in other words, to establish a timetable or schedule the process. We view the Terror-Free Trkiye process as a matter of achieving a goal rather than simply a matter of following a timetable. This is how we will approach it. Of course, as the state, we have a roadmap, a plan and a timetable. Our relevant institutions are currently working in coordination on the process.’
‘At the point we have reached today, the strong consensus demonstrated by our Parliament is important and extremely valuable. The monitoring committee established under the chairmanship of our Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz has begun planning the steps to be taken within the framework of the duties defined by the law. For the law to begin being implemented, the organization must actually lay down its arms and be dismantled. The procedures for determining and verifying this are also clear. The process is moving forward step by step.’
‘The process has not been confined to narrow parameters in all its aspects. There is also a degree of flexibility in this regard. We are approaching the issue with the seriousness of the state and taking our steps accordingly. Our nation has also demonstrated its support for a Terror-Free Trkiye. Processes that are so open to provocation should not be allowed to drag on for too long. At this point, our Parliament Speaker as well as our Group Chairmen are showing the utmost sensitivity, and we are continuing on this path with this determination.’
Asked about strengthening the domestic front and occasional dissenting statements coming from the DEM Party, Erdogan said:
‘We cannot look at the issue from a narrow perspective. We must be sincere. We must be responsible. We must exercise common sense. We must protect our brotherhood. We are approaching the issue from the broadest possible perspective and focusing on the goal in this way. We cannot tolerate approaches that damage the brotherhood of our nation, hurt social cohesion, or risk reactivating the fault lines created by terrorism in the past.’
‘There may be some excessive statements by certain people who have political identities. There may also be those who make such statements in order to infect the process. Let it be known that every statement that does not serve social cohesion contributes to chaos and serves no other purpose. Frankly, I believe that our nation has developed a resistance to such provocations. Our nation has laid the foundations for this process, and those foundations have taken hold. Strengthening the domestic front does not mean eliminating differences. We did not say this for nothing. We will strengthen the domestic front. Together with our differences, we will unite around the common denominator of Trkiye. We call this the ‘Great Trkiye Consensus.’ Let us not forget this. We are moving forward on this path knowing what we are doing in order to reach our destination.’
Some countries are quietly reacting against the Mecca Alliance
Regarding the first meeting of ministers held in Istanbul as part of the Mecca Alliance, Erdogan said:
‘The meeting held in Istanbul was extremely important. In line with our approach that concrete steps should be taken as soon as possible, we identified the issues that need to be addressed technically. First and foremost, a secretariat needs to be established and made operational. Military and political issues need to be addressed here. The defense industry is an important area of cooperation. In addition, within the scope of military operational cooperation, issues such as military training, military standardization, military threats, and the sharing of capabilities and resources were discussed. Decisions were made on when and how these matters would be implemented. There are very few countries that have openly reacted against this alliance, but there are also countries that have reacted against it quietly. In particular, the balance between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Trkiye makes it difficult for many actors to openly criticize this alliance. This alliance was established for stability and security in our region. We will continue on our path together with our brothers, growing stronger.’
Asked about his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Erdogan said:
‘It took place in a very, very sincere atmosphere. Trkiye is playing roles in finding peaceful solutions to conflicts in our region. It is the expectation of both us and Mr. Putin that the war between Russia and Ukraine should end in peace as soon as possible. We want a peace process between Russia and Ukraine to take place in this region as soon as possible and for peace to prevail in the region. It is clear that this war has not produced a beneficial outcome for our region, the world or the parties involved. So, is Putin happy about this? He is not. He too expects this matter to reach a beneficial conclusion as soon as possible. We told Mr. Putin that we are ready to do everything we can for peace. It is a reality that peace, not war, will prevail. We are ready to make every effort to achieve this.’
Asked whether the issue of Trkiye being readmitted to the F-35 program and the possible transfer of S-400 systems to a third country had been discussed during his meeting with Putin, Erdogan said:
‘We discussed every issue on our bilateral agenda with Mr. Putin. As you know, Trkiye was one of the partners in the F-35 program. It made significant contributions under this program. Our talks on Trkiye’s re-entry into the program are also continuing. We believe that once the processes in the United States are completed as soon as possible, this issue will be left behind. While pursuing all these diplomatic efforts, we are not giving up on KAAN. We are not giving up on developing our own air defense systems. On the contrary, we are increasing Trkiye’s options. This is what a strong Trkiye looks like. This is the roadmap for a strong Trkiye.’
Asked how Trkiye would respond if Greece continued to arm islands that have demilitarized status, Erdogan said:
‘What should we do? What is our responsibility? To do what is necessary. We say that we want to proceed with Greece on the basis of good neighborly relations. If we were to call out from our mainland, say from Kas, to Greece, they would hear us, wouldn’t they? But we have been sincere on every issue. We have been the constructive side. Yet most of the time, we have not seen our goodwill reciprocated. Greece must now understand one thing: Trkiye has no designs on anyone’s territory, but it will not allow anyone to violate its rights either. Ignoring and violating international agreements will benefit no one. If anyone interprets Trkiye’s calm and common-sense approach as a sign of weakness, I say openly that they are making a grave mistake. Greece must turn back from this wrong path and stop arming the islands that have demilitarized status. History is a very, very good guide for those who learn its lessons. We will continue working for peace, security and stability in our region.’
Regarding the dissolution decision concerning the YPG-PYD, the organization’s structure in Syria, Erdogan said:
‘Frankly, I was pleased with the decision announced on behalf of the brotherly Syrian people. We view the decision and the achievement of integration positively. As both the Syrian side and Trkiye, a neighboring country with a very long border with Syria, we are of course monitoring the implementation of the decision on the ground. We are the country that most wants Syria to remain united and whole with all its components. This is important for sustainable development and capacity building in Syria. We have always stood by our Syrian brothers and sisters for this purpose, and we will continue to stand by them. In this regard, President Ahmed al-Sharaa, praise be to God, has successfully managed difficult processes and continues to do so. We are hopeful both about the integration process and the gains achieved by the Syrian people in a short period of time. I believe this process will open the door to a new era not only for Trkiye and Syria, but for the entire region. The chapter of terrorism must now be closed; the era of weapons and violence must now come to an end.’
Erdogan was reminded that the United States has recently emphasized Syria’s territorial integrity. He responded:
‘As Trkiye, whatever we said yesterday about Syria, we are saying the same thing today. We said that Syria could not become an area where terrorist organizations roam freely and that instability there could spread throughout the entire region, and ultimately we were proven right. So, it appears that the United States has now also become aware of the realities in Syria. The Syrian people paid a very heavy price, but they stood up for their homeland. Now they are working to rebuild all of Syria. I call on all neighboring countries and countries friendly to Syria to help with Syria’s reconstruction and rebuilding. The situation in Syria is also important because it demonstrates how accurate our vision was and how realistic our Syria policy has been. The issue of combating provocations is also important. It is essential not to create space for those seeking to undermine Syria’s internal peace. The road to stability in Syria passes through clearing away the seeds of discord.’