Director of Communications Altun: "I believe that all international actors have recognised the unique weight and significance of Türkiye. The approaches taken by Western capitals, as well as the geopolitical interpretations created on this basis, to humiliate and ostensibly discipline Türkiye, have failed.”
In the opening speech of the workshop titled "The Russia-Ukraine War and Its Effects on Türkiye: Threats and Opportunities" held at the Bestepe Exhibition Hall of the Presidential Complex, Presidency's Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun said, "I would like to emphasise, in particular, that the (Russia-Ukraine War) Istanbul Process remains the as the most important chance of achieving a ceasefire and building peace for the international public. Therefore, as indicated by our President, everyone should support the Istanbul Process."
Director of Communications Altun wished Allah’s mercy upon First Lieutenant Ömer Delibaş, who was martyred in the Operation Claw-Lock launched by our Turkish Armed Forces against terrorist targets in the north of Iraq, and extended his condolences to Ömer Delibaş’s family and the Turkish nation. Wishing success to Turkish soldiers (Mehmetcik) who takes part in this critical operation, Director of Communications Altun said, "May Allah be with them. Our nation's prayers are with our brave soldiers. As part of our President's stated objective of "eradicating terrorism at its source," we do not allow terrorists to breathe anywhere within or outside our borders. Terrorists and supporters of terrorism will never be given a chance. We continue and will continue to strive for the peace of our nation and the stability of our region."
Noting that one of the most pressing issues on the agenda is undoubtedly the Ukraine-Russia war, Director of Communications Altun stated that under the leadership of our President, they are exerting every effort to extinguish this fire that has led to the loss of life, human tragedies and destruction.
Director of Communications remarked that the war in Ukraine, which has affected the entire world, particularly Europe, has repercussions for Türkiye, as well, and that this workshop provided an opportunity for experts to address this critical issue closely affecting Türkiye. Director of Communications Altun emphasised the importance of evaluating the causes and consequences of this war for our country's future and the stability of our region, adding:
"It is essential to draw on the experience of the academia in both the evaluation and decision-making processes; thus I would like to emphasise how important and valuable today's workshop is in this regard. Firstly, this war has demonstrated how right, accurate and relevant our President’s motto "The World is Bigger than Five" is. He has clearly offered grounds for the pursuit of a "Fairer World is Possible." The United Nations should have been the address of the solution in such a crisis, and it should have risen to the occasion on its own. However, not only did the United Nations fail to act; unfortunately, the United Nations' name does not spring to mind when it comes to resolving this crisis. Regrettably, the United Nations is incapable of reflecting the reality of international politics and the pursuit of justice. It fails to fulfil its mission. The urgent need for reform has manifested itself once again, and we have seen it very clearly on this occasion. This statement, which our President has made repeatedly over the years, has taken on new significance today."
Director of Communications Altun also stressed that this crisis also highlighted Türkiye’s role as a stabilising actor. Noting that from the start, President Erdoğan used his close communication with both President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine as a means of resolving the crisis and easing tensions, Director of Communications Altun stated that our President carried out peace diplomacy by involving the leaders of many countries and international institutions.
The Istanbul Process
Director of Communications Altun stated that by making sincere and genuine contributions to this process, Türkiye gained the trust of both Russia and Ukraine, demonstrating that it could not be compelled to choose between the two countries. Stressing that Türkiye initiated the establishment of a negotiation table, first on the margins of the Antalya Diplomatic Forum and later in Dolmabahçe, Director of Communications Altun added:
"I would like to emphasise, in particular, that the Istanbul Process remains the as the most important chance of achieving a ceasefire and building peace for the international public. Therefore, as indicated by our President, everyone should support the Istanbul Process. On the other hand, I believe that all international actors have recognised the unique weight and significance of Türkiye. The approaches taken by Western capitals, as well as the geopolitical interpretations created on this basis, to humiliate and ostensibly discipline Türkiye, have failed. There is no other explanation for those who, just yesterday, pointed their fingers at Türkiye and tried to teach us, now praising us. In this regard, the current situation forces the West to take a new approach to its relationship with Türkiye."
Director of Communications Altun also stated that the crisis in Ukraine also revealed the progress made by our defence industry despite all the obstacles. Director of Communications Altun emphasized that the progress made by Türkiye, which attempted to purchase unmanned aerial vehicles from other countries only ten years ago, was praiseworthy, thanks to our President's vision and the work of Turkish engineers. He highlighted that learned helplessness has been eliminated, and the excuse "We can't do it anyway" is no longer valid.
"We shattered the terror corridor"
Director of Communications Altun stated that Türkiye adopted a balanced approach in this process. Director of Communications Altun remarked that the facilitative role they played in the negotiations demonstrated that Türkiye adopted a constructive approach and took the initiative when necessary, and added,
"As a requirement of this approach, we have stayed in conformity with international law in all areas, particularly sanctions. On the one hand, we condemned the violations of rights in Ukraine; on the other hand, we opposed the criminalisation of Russian cuisine, academia and culture. We did all of this not to be charming but because we believe in our own values and want to ensure the peace and security of our region.
What is going on in Ukraine today is the result of Western countries’ lack of strategic vision, lack of foresight, and indifference during the Syrian crisis. The West, which has turned a blind eye to the systematic violations of human rights and law in Syria for years, bears a heavy responsibility for the current situation in Ukraine. This is something we must keep in mind. The foundations of the Ukrainian war were laid in Syria. If there had been any real intervention in the tragedies that took place in Syria, we would not be talking about this war today. Many international norms were violated in Syria. Even the use of chemical weapons was ignored, and boundaries were intended to be changed. It was intended to establish a terror corridor right next to us. With our President's vision and leadership, we intervened and shattered the terror corridor."
Talking about the attitude towards Syrian refugees, Director of Communications Altun said, "Let's remember Aylan babies. There is no way to hide this double standard. We are talking about a double standard recorded in history. You cannot categorise refugees as "blue-eyed" or "black-eyed." You cannot talk about global principles or human rights standards unless you welcome Christians and Muslims, regardless of their culture, religion or ethnic origin. As virtuous as it is to welcome millions of people fleeing Ukraine, it is equally unfair to leave Syrian refugees for dead."
Director of Communications Altun noted that while the West's reputation deteriorated as a result of this double standard, Türkiye has been the bearer of principle-based realism.
"Disinformation War"
Underlining that they would also discuss the topic of press and information at the workshop, Director of Communications Altun said:
"As you all know; the truth is always the first victim of war. Uncertainty, which has been represented in literature as the 'fog of war,' has always been a natural component of conflicts throughout history. On the other hand, at this moment, it is well known that social media, in particular, has become a rich source for open-source intelligence experts; data obtained from here is confirmed using instruments such as satellite images, and the uncertainty that is part of the war is partially eliminated. Propaganda, disinformation, and fake news are all examples of how the war atmosphere is still on the agenda today. There is a disinformation war ahead of us, in addition to an information war because the struggles carried out over the media are a key component of the war. Despite these challenges, the importance of journalists serving on the battlefield accurately relaying their experiences to the public becomes apparent. Real journalists have a critical role in conveying the truth to the world’s public opinion. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all my journalist friends working on the battlefield for their efforts and courage. Those who struggle to convey the right news to the public in the most difficult conditions are attempting to disperse the fog of war and reveal the truth. I wish them all good luck."
Director of Communications Altun wished that the workshop titled "The Russia-Ukraine War and Its Effects on Türkiye: Threats and Opportunities" would be auspicious for the country, the Turkish nation and the region. He also wished that the blessed month of Ramadan would conduce to peace, tranquillity, stability and well-being to all humanity.
The President of the Association for Development and Improvement of International Civil Society and the Chief Advisor to the President Mücahit Küçükyılmaz presented a certificate of participation to the workshop and a gift to the Director of Communications Altun.
