Speaking at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Ciolacu of Romania, President Erdoğan said that the Türkiye-Romania High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council has been established today, and added: “Our economic and commercial ties constitute the engine of our bilateral relations. Our bilateral trade volume exceeded 10 billion dollars two years in a row. Our goal is to reach 15 billion dollars. We advance towards this goal with firm steps.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu of Romania held a joint press conference following their bilateral meeting at the Presidential Complex.
Stating that establishing the Türkiye-Romania High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council with the joint communique signed today, President Erdoğan said that they co-chaired the first meeting of the mechanism as well.
Underscoring that they thoroughly discussed the relations with Romania, President Erdoğan noted: “Our economic and commercial ties constitute the engine of our bilateral relations. Our bilateral trade volume exceeded 10 billion dollars two years in a row. Our goal is to reach 15 billion dollars. We advance towards this goal with firm steps. Nearly 19 thousand Turkish companies operating in Romania significantly contribute to this success and the friendship between the two countries. Our companies’ investments in Romania have reached 8 billion dollars, including the ones coming from third countries.”
COOPERATION IN DEFENSE INDUSTRY AND MILITARY
Stressing that they addressed the issue of increasing cooperation in energy, President Erdoğan went on to say: “Our cooperation with Romania in defense industry and military constitutes one of the pillars of our relations with Romania. We have gained a significant momentum in recent years in cooperation in this area and defense industry. We contribute to our region’s security and stability by carrying out joint activities with Romania both at bilateral level and under the roof of NATO. Our four F-16 warplanes served for four months until the end of March in the Romanian air space within the NATO Air Policing mission. We work together with Romania in the Black Sea as two littoral states and NATO allies. As is known, with the participation of Bulgaria as well, we have formed the Black Sea Mine Countermeasure Task Group.”
President Erdoğan continued as follows: “The fight against terror was also on the agenda of our talks. We have shared with Mr. Prime Minister our expectations from Romania in the fight against such terrorist organizations as PKK and FETO. We see the Turkish and Turkish Tatar communities living in Romania as a bridge of friendship between us. We are pleased that our kinsmen live in harmony with the Romanian community. We thank Romanian officials who ensure this.”
“THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY’S RESPONSIBILITIES ABOUT STOPPING THE ISRAELI ATROCITY ARE EVIDENT”
“I have also exchanged views with Mr. Prime Minister on the ongoing regional and global developments,” President Erdoğan stressed, and added: “The Israeli oppression taking place in the occupied Palestinian lands, Gaza in particular, has been the top item on the agenda. The international community’s responsibilities about stopping the Israeli atrocity and ensuring a safe future for our Palestinian brothers and sisters are evident. However, the steps that would prevent the massacre have yet to be taken. Netanyahu and his wild-eyed government maintain their policy of genocide at the cost of endangering the security of their own citizens. All should say ‘No’ to this already. I believe that our ally Romania will make necessary contributions to the ongoing international efforts on this issue. During our talks, we have also addressed the course of the war in Ukraine, which has entered its third year. Since the beginning of the war, Türkiye has and continues to significantly contribute to the works aimed at stopping conflicts and ensuring global food security as well as navigational safety in the Black Sea.”
