President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Türkiye delivered statements on Türkiye’s international role, conflict prevention, and the expansion of its diplomatic influence following the cabinet meeting on Monday. The Turkish President also referred to his meeting with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, noting that current bilateral issues were the focus of the discussion.
Türkiye’s International Role
The Turkish President emphasised his country’s international influence and efforts to prevent the escalation of crises: “A wind of Türkiye is blowing in the world right now. Everyone wonders what Türkiye thinks, what it does, what stance it takes and what steps it will take in the face of new developments. We work in order for crises to be solved before they turn into hot conflicts."
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan highlighted Türkiye’s geopolitical importance as a hub located at the intersection of three continents, stating, "We are a country located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. We are trying to make effective use of the advantages this strategic geographical position offers to our country."
The Turkish President reiterated the contribution of the Turkish Armed Forces and its role within the NATO framework: "The Steadfast exercise, one of NATO’s largest and most comprehensive exercises that began on February 20, once again demonstrated to the whole world the level reached by our Turkish Armed Forces."
Respect for Neighbours' Sovereignty Rights
Moreover, the Turkish President set forth the goal of strengthening international relations based on respect for neighbouring countries' sovereignty rights: "Today, while the world is experiencing serious turmoil, Türkiye's sole aim is to increase the number of its friends. We do not endeavour to create hostility out of disputes. We do not seek to escalate conflicts or deepen problems. While respecting countries’ sovereign rights, we expect everyone to respect our rights."
On Meeting with Mitsotakis
In this context, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan specifically mentioned his meeting with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and bilateral relations.
Erdoğan said, "In the past weeks, we have hosted a number of important figures in our country. We hosted Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of Greece at the Presidential Complex on 11 February. We found the opportunity to review our attitudes regarding the Aegean and the Mediterranean as well as the two countries’ relations. We strengthened the contractual basis of our relations with the documents we signed. I shared our expectations about the Western Thrace, and the Turkish minority (as he called it) completely benefitting from their educational and religious rights with Kyriakos Mitsotakis.”