President Erdoğan said, "The modality of this matter remains to be clarified. Given the complexity of the issue, comprehensive negotiations are currently underway. We stand ready to offer any support to Gaza in this regard."
Following a three-day visit to Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addressed journalists' questions on his return flight to Türkiye.
President Erdoğan highlighted the significance of relations with Gulf countries in their foreign policy, noting that they have fortified ties with these nations through the high-level mechanisms established and the agreements concluded.
Stating that a further dimension of relations with the Gulf is the ties with the Gulf Cooperation Council, currently chaired by Kuwait, President Erdoğan affirmed that the role played by the countries he visited in this context is highly valuable. President Erdoğan recalled that they resumed negotiations last year—after a prolonged pause—on the free trade agreement on their agenda with the Council, expressing their hope that the agreement’s conclusion would lead to substantial increases in both trade and mutual investments with the Gulf.
President Erdoğan remarked that, in the first leg of his Gulf tour, they visited Kuwait at the invitation of the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and said, “As you may remember, Sheikh Meshal paid an official visit to Ankara last May. And the last time I visited Kuwait was on October 7, 2020, following the passing of Emir Sheikh Sabah. During Sheikh Meshal’s visit, we concluded six agreements on cooperation across various fields. On this visit, we endorsed four additional instruments on transport, energy and investment. Along with trade, investment, transport and energy, we also discussed the defence‑industry projects laid out in the Government-to-Government Sales Protocol that we signed with Sheikh Meshal last year."
"Our relations with Qatar are progressing excellently across all levels"
President Erdoğan recalled that after Kuwait, he visited Qatar, where they convened the 11th meeting of the Supreme Strategic Committee, established in 2014, and stated that their relations with Qatar are progressing excellently across all levels. President Erdoğan noted that they review the status of these relations every year during the Supreme Strategic Committee meetings that he and Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar co-chair, and made the following remarks:
"We fully align with Qatar regarding regional matters. Lastly, you have witnessed the outcomes of our joint initiatives on critical matters including Palestine, Syria and Afghanistan. We also took part in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League Summit held in Doha following Israel’s attack on Qatar. At the bilateral level, our cooperation in trade and investment continues to deepen. On this visit, we endorsed four additional instruments. We also discussed issues such as the defence industry and security cooperation.
"I am pleased to see Oman again after 20 years"
Recalling that after Qatar, he visited Oman, the last leg of his Gulf tour, upon the invitation of Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman; President Erdoğan expressed his pleasure in seeing Oman again after 20 years since he last visited the country in 2005 during his tenure as prime minister. President Erdoğan noted that the first official visit from Oman to Türkiye at the presidential level took place last November, and on this occasion, they signed 10 agreements in various fields such as trade, investment, finance, foreign policy, and agriculture. President Erdoğan stated that in bilateral and inter-delegation meetings with Sultan Haitham, they evaluated cooperation in all areas, particularly defence, and continued as follows:
We also had a comprehensive exchange of opinions on the developments in our region. We agreed to form a coordination council between our countries. We signed 16 more documents across defence, energy, technology, industry, investments, and more. During this visit, Oman reciprocated the visa facilitation we granted to Omani citizens last year. From November 1, our citizens will be able to visit Oman without a visa for certain periods.
The negotiations for the purchase of Eurofighter jets are progressing favourably
President Erdoğan, who mentioned that he gifted the domestic electric car Togg to the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq, during this tour, stated the following:
In Qatar and Oman, our defence companies also had fruitful meetings with their counterparts. Under the coordination of my Minister of National Defence, we discussed the ongoing negotiations with our counterparts in Qatar and Oman regarding the purchase of Eurofighter jets. The negotiations, encompassing various technical details, are progressing favourably. I hope that our visit will lead to auspicious outcomes, particularly for our bilateral relations, as well as our region and the Islamic world.
In response to a question regarding the sustainability of the ceasefire in Gaza and the potential for increased international pressure on Israel should violations escalate, President Erdoğan stated, “As Türkiye, we are exerting every possible effort to ensure the preservation of the ceasefire.” The Hamas side is adhering to the ceasefire. Indeed, they openly express their commitment. Conversely, Israel persists in violating the ceasefire. The international community, particularly the United States, must intensify its efforts to ensure Israel’s full compliance with the ceasefire and the terms of the agreement. "In this process, exerting adequate diplomatic pressure on Israel is imperative." President Erdoğan noted.
Rest assured, Gaza will rise again
In response to the question, “Amid these ongoing violations, will it be possible to deliver sufficient humanitarian aid to Gaza or to initiate the city’s reconstruction?”, he offered the following remarks:
"Rest assured, Gaza will stand tall again. It is critical to secure the unhindered delivery of aid to Gaza at this point. We have never ceased, and will never cease, to channel our aid to Egypt. We are dispatching the aid delivered to the region by our state institutions and civil society organisations to Gaza via trucks. Our 17th “Goodness Ship” recently reached the Port of El Arish. Our brothers and sisters in Gaza are in urgent need of virtually all essentials, due to the inhumane blockade imposed by Israel. Nothing could be more innate than this. We are preparing to meet their needs and rebuild and revive Gaza. It is now time for action, not words. With the implementation of sanctions and the cessation of arms sales, Israel ought to be compelled to fulfil its commitments. We are taking steps in this regard. And we will continue to do so."
President Erdoğan responded to the question, "At what stage are the negotiations concerning the planned deployment of the force to Gaza?" and said, "Discussions about the task force to be deployed in Gaza are ongoing. The modality of this matter has not yet been clarified. Given the complexity of the issue, comprehensive negotiations are currently underway. We are prepared to provide all forms of support to Gaza in this matter. Our infrastructure development efforts are also ongoing at the moment."
When asked whether he had made any recommendations to the Gulf countries to contribute to the recovery and reconstruction of Gaza, President Erdoğan stated that Gaza would be revived together and that neither Türkiye, nor Egypt, nor any other Gulf country could achieve this alone. President Erdoğan noted that an independent collective construction and revival effort would be carried out in Gaza, and added:
"For this, we conducted comprehensive discussions at all our stops. I delegated responsibility to my Foreign Minister, the Head of the National Intelligence Organisation, and the Minister of National Defence to undertake visits on my behalf to locations I was unable to attend, stating, 'Let the discussions proceed through them.' These contacts are currently ongoing. We called on our brothers in the Gulf countries clearly and openly. As I mentioned earlier, it is now time for action, not words. In Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman, we observed a robust and genuine commitment, accompanied by a conscientious sensitivity regarding this matter. Particularly, Qatar has been among the countries providing the most substantial support to Palestine thus far.
Gaza serves as a test for the Islamic world. Hopefully, we will pass this test with flying colours and claim our place alongside our brothers in the strongest way. Unfortunately, Israel's attacks have destroyed Gaza's infrastructure. Now, we must proceed with significant excavation efforts in this area to remove these ruins. First, there are the tasks to be carried out by construction machines, followed by the steps to be taken towards the infrastructure. In Gaza, hospitals, schools, places of worship, and bakeries have all been completely destroyed. Rebuilding this is not an easy task. Hopefully, we will undertake this step collectively, particularly with the Gulf countries. Gaza has endured an atrocity that has brought shame to all of humanity for years. We must work together as humanity to prepare an honourable and prosperous future for our Gazan brothers. Türkiye will do its utmost by evaluating every available opportunity at this point."
"The significance of Istanbul's peace vision has been reaffirmed"
In response to a journalist's question, President Erdoğan said, "It was announced that an America-Russia summit is scheduled to take place in Budapest shortly; however, no specific date has been provided. It seems that the issue has been put on hold. What is the current status of the İstanbul formula for resolving the Russia-Ukraine crisis?" President Erdoğan stated:
"The significance of Türkiye's or İstanbul's vision for peace has been reaffirmed here. We are prepared to take such a step at any time. I wish the meeting in Budapest could have taken place. We believe that any form of dialogue to end this war would be advantageous. From the very beginning, we have advocated for this, worked towards it, and expressed the belief that a just peace is possible. We maintain positive relations with both sides and have established ourselves as a nation that has earned the trust of both parties. This provides us with an advantage in the pursuit of peace, and we are resolute in our commitment to leverage this circumstance for the benefit of humanity.
When reminded of the elections in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, where Tufan Erhürman emerged victorious to become the new president of the TRNC, President Erdoğan was asked about the forthcoming period and responded accordingly:
Our relations with Northern Cyprus under the AK Party's leadership will persist as they have been thus far. It is impossible for us to harbour any negative feelings towards Northern Cyprus. The election was of great significance, and we hold the Turkish Cypriots' will in high regard. We extended our congratulations to them for this. All of these investments in Northern Cyprus were not made in vain. For years, we used to go to Northern Cyprus. The Presidential Palace was modest in size; we were welcomed there, and ceremonies used to take place there. We said that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus deserved a parliament building and a presidential complex worthy of its status, and we swiftly constructed both the parliament and the presidential complex there. There is no such thing in Southern Cyprus. An election took place, and as a proponent of democracy, we extended our congratulations to the winning candidate via phone. I said, 'I am currently on a Gulf visit. After the Gulf visit, we will be pleased to welcome you, and we look forward to your visit. They also said they would pay a visit. We are not strangers to each other; we will come together. Inshallah, we will have a comprehensive discussion with them regarding the relationship between the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and Türkiye if this visit occurs by the end of this week."
“We maintain a strong relationship with Mark Rutte"
President Erdoğan was asked by a journalist about the book on the memoirs written by former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, noting, ‘He dedicated a section in his book to his meetings with you and provided some examples. He highlighted that these meetings occurred in a genuinely sincere atmosphere. How much do you think such sincere engagements, particularly during your meetings and interactions with Western leaders, contribute to conveying Türkiye’s arguments and positions? Do you recall the boiled maize you offered?" President Erdoğan replied:
"How could I possibly forget? We always provide our guests with the finest seasonal offerings, be it corn or chestnuts. Mr Stoltenberg was certainly a figure known for constructive approaches among NATO Secretary Generals. He and his family were my guests, and we took a family excursion on the Bosphorus. This is not an ordinary occurrence. This is the prerequisite for diplomacy. That is why these relationships are crucial. Our relationship with the current Secretary General, Mark Rutte, is also quite positive. It is also meaningful that Mr Stoltenberg chose to include these reflections in his memoirs, underscoring the importance of maintaining our relations in the future. I hope that we will also have the opportunity to discuss this book at our next meeting."