President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addressed journalists' questions on the agenda at the Turkevi Centre during his visit to the United States.
President Erdoğan said that he has been engaged in a packed schedule since Saturday, which included his address to the UN General Assembly, multiple talks, and attendance at a variety of events.
President Erdoğan reported that he attended a traditional dinner hosted by the Turkish-American National Steering Committee (TASC) on September 22, which followed his meeting with representatives from think tanks, and expressed appreciation for the Turkish-American community's efforts to safeguard the interests of Türkiye.
President Erdoğan indicated that he informed American entrepreneurs about the investment opportunities that Türkiye has to offer during consultations with the American business circles at the 15th Türkiye Investment Conference, which was organised by the Türkiye-US Business Council (TAİK).
Mentioning that the participants were briefed on the road map for the future of the Turkish economy, President Erdoğan added, "Over the past two years, the US has ranked as our second-most-imported country and our fifth-most-exported country. Last year, the volume of our bilateral trade surpassed 30 billion dollars. With careful planning, we believe we can achieve our 100-billion-dollar total trade target."
UN interactions
"Leaving no one behind" was the theme under which this year's UN General Assembly debate was held, informed President Erdoğan.
President Erdoğan emphasised how he went into detail in his address to the UN General Assembly on the steps that need to be taken to guarantee a safe and prosperous future for humanity, adding:
"I voiced our perspectives on key issues that are crucial for the preservation of global peace and security. I made it clear that, in Gaza, the existing international system and its institutions have once again failed to carry out their fundamental responsibilities. I pointed out that it is possible for humanity to live in a fairer world that hears the cries of the oppressed. The course of our visit to New York was also marked by numerous bilateral meetings. I met in this capacity with the Presidents of Iran, Serbia, and Ukraine, the Maldives, the Chairman of the Sovereignty Council of Sudan, the Crown Prince of Kuwait, and the Prime Ministers of Albania, Pakistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Germany, the Netherlands, Greece, and Armenia, in addition to the UN Secretary-General."
"Israel is employing all means to spread the fire in Gaza throughout the whole region"
President Erdoğan underscored that they engaged in a comprehensive discussion regarding areas of bilateral cooperation and the crises in the region, with a particular focus on the escalating humanitarian issue in Gaza.
President Erdoğan stated that he relayed to his counterparts in each of his meetings that they should undoubtedly increase aid to Palestine ahead of the upcoming winter season, collaborate to achieve this goal, and increase the pressure on Israel, noting:
"You are already following it minute by minute. Israel is employing all means to spread the fire in Gaza throughout the whole region, as we have warned for months. The attacks on Lebanon are the most recent example. In the past week, over 600 Lebanese people have been massacred. Unfortunately, these massacres will continue as long as the world remains silent and Western countries continue to arm the Israeli government. During our meetings, we highlighted this hazard. We strived to make the most of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly by engaging in extraordinarily intense and fruitful diplomatic activity. I hope that the talks and interactions we have carried out will yield auspicious results for all of humanity, especially our country and nation."
Netanyahu's presence at the UN General Assembly
In response to the question, "How do you assess the lack of a concrete measure by the United Nations to stop Israel, as well as the lack of a shared protest among leaders, with only a few days until the anniversary of October 7? Netanyahu shows up at the UN when Israel is on trial at the International Court of Justice. He is expected to attend the General Assembly and deliver a speech. What is your response to this contradiction?" President Erdoğan said:
"The fact that a criminal who has carried out genocide in Palestine is allowed within the UN is a true source of shame. This betrays the memories of the babies, children, mothers, fathers, UN officials, journalists, and others who were all ruthlessly massacred. If you paid attention to the Israeli delegation's behaviour following our speech at the UN General Assembly yesterday, you would notice a very unusual attitude. Because they are in no position to defend themselves. The way they behave reveals all. As such, we have called on—and will continue to call on—everyone to stand on the right side of history. An order that cannot tell the difference between the oppressed and the oppressor, the killer and the victim, and cannot treat each of them fairly is rotten to the core. The UN General Assembly will either treat the murderer as he deserves or this shameful situation will go down in UN history as a dark stain. Unfortunately, this is what will occur. Israel is a state that has consistently violated UN resolutions and values. I feel it is the most important responsibility to teach such a state the necessary lesson using written and visual resources."
UN structure
Upon the question, "You emphasised that the United Nations should carry out a reform and modify its structure. In the ensuing 20 years, it has become evident that the United Nations has failed to bring about global justice and peace. How do you view the current situation?" President Erdoğan said, "The UN is in a position where it cannot achieve its duty of averting wars, has no influence over anyone, cannot even safeguard its officials and hold Israel accountable for killing them."
During his meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, President Erdoğan stated that he was very surprised when he was briefed on the casualty figure and that a significant number of UN officials have been victims of Israeli massacres.
President Erdoğan went on to say:
"The UN has evolved into a structure that serves as a sentinel over a system in which the powerful are in control and has lost its functionality. The existing framework allows the five permanent members of the UN Security Council to exercise their power without restraint ruthlessly. The temporary members lack any significant function. States admitted to the Council as temporary members are disregarded. And where are these permanent members from? Asia, Europe, America... Regarding the religious aspect, despite the substantial number of Muslim countries in the world, it is noteworthy that none of these nations hold a position among the permanent members. Now, Africa also desires a permanent membership. But is there any place for an African country in the UN Security Council? No, there is not. Does Japan also desire a membership? Of course it does. But is there a place for them? No, there is not. From Europe, Germany also desires a place as a permanent member. But there is no room for Germany either. As Türkiye, we also desire a place. But, unfortunately, there is not a place for us either. Why? We, as Türkiye, Germany and Japan, are in the position of countries that cannot get what they desire. We shall persist in our rightful demand. Mr Guterres also agreed with us in our meeting, but he has neither the power nor the means to deliver this right."
Israel's attack on Lebanon
Upon the question, "Israel began to attack Lebanon after Gaza. You interpreted this as an indication that Israel is indeed attempting to extend the conflict throughout the region. Iran maintains its stance that it retains its right to respond to actions taken by Israel. Considering this, what stance would Türkiye adopt in the scenario of a potential regional conflict, and what measures would it pursue or refrain from pursuing?" President Erdoğan remarked that a profound trauma has occurred, and regrettably, it is the Lebanese people who have borne the brunt of this suffering.
Explaining that he was following the evacuations in the south of Lebanon, President Erdoğan noted:
"This is a very grim situation. Everyone is trying to evacuate the area with their families, taking whatever they could carry with them in the process. It really hurts us seeing our region facing such a stark, such a distressing situation. We are talking about Lebanon with six million residents. Where will these people go? How will they escape? How will they survive there? They lack the food, shelter, and clothes. They are leaving the area, taking blankets or whatever they could find. Lebanon was a different one under the administration of the late Rafik al-Hariri. It was more prosperous, more powerful. But that Lebanon is no more. We will provide the resources necessary for Lebanon to restore itself, and we will contemplate methods to revert this situation. It is our sincere wish that Lebanon swiftly recovers from this trauma. The situation in Lebanon appears to be dire, based on what I have seen on television. May Allah help and guide them.
On the other side, Israel has a dream, and it appears to be willing to turn the lives of the peoples in our region into nightmares in order to achieve it. Hitler once had a dream, and he, too, caused nightmares for people from different nations. He eventually realised that what he had was just that—a dream. Sooner or later, Netanyahu, the modern-day Hitler, will have to confront this reality as well. Everyone has a plan, but we believe Allah also has one."
His meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was recalled, and he was asked, "We know that Zelensky earlier stated that negotiations were made with countries, including Türkiye, on a future peace conference. Was the issue of the Ukraine Peace Conference raised? If this happens, will a possible peace conference be held in Türkiye?" and President Erdoğan responded:
"We have stated that we are ready to partake in this conference. Similarly, both Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and our Intelligence Organisation will be in contact with them regarding this issue. We hope that Türkiye will play a role in bringing about peace to the region. We are possibly the country that harbours the greatest aspiration for a just peace in the Ukraine-Russia war. We have not hesitated to accept responsibility and are striving towards peace. It is possible to end this war through diplomacy and dialogue. As long as both opposing parties and other actors believe we can solve problems in this manner. At the moment, unfortunately, we are nowhere near that."
President Erdoğan emphasised that they consider Türkiye's ability to negotiate with both Ukraine and Russia an advantage in achieving peace and said, "If we can walk this arduous path and reach our goal, we will be providing a great service to humanity. There will be no tangible prospect for peace unless the sides reject provocations and the arms race and put away their weapons. But we shall relentlessly continue to look for that hope. We shall step up our efforts and work harder."
"Türkiye is a reliable NATO ally"
In response to the question, "In his farewell speech, outgoing NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that 'The security of the European continent is unpredictable and unattainable without Türkiye in the south.' What did you think of this statement? Is Europe sufficiently aware of Türkiye's value? How do you assess their point of view?" President Erdoğan praised Stoltenberg for maintaining relations with Türkiye optimally during his tenure as NATO Secretary General, stating that he never took a negative attitude.
“We will see how this process will continue with Mr Rutte. During his time as Prime Minister of the Netherlands, we maintained a cordial relationship with the newly appointed Secretary General Mark Rutte. Inshallah, we will maintain our solidarity and cooperation with the NATO Secretary General," said President Erdoğan and emphasised that international organisations and alliances that alienate themselves from their founding values and fail to uphold them will degenerate, and if they fail to eliminate this fundamental malfunction, they will be unable to fulfil even their most basic duties.
President Erdoğan said, “The corruption begins if NATO is faced with the danger of transforming the principle of ‘All for one, one for all’ into ‘All for some, some for all’. In order to prevent this, it is necessary to take measures and implement them immediately. The principles should not be compromised in the slightest, particularly when it pertains to an issue as critical as security. Türkiye is a reliable ally that is cognisant of its obligations and responsibilities within NATO and fulfils them in their entirety. We see that Europe is aware of the value of Türkiye to NATO; however, it sometimes disregards this fact.
US presidential elections
When asked about the presidential elections to be held in the US in November, “As you know, there are problems in the relations between Türkiye and the US. Its support for terrorist organisations, in particular, continues uninterruptedly. In this respect, presidents change, but the attitude that is unworthy of this alliance remains the same. What are your post-election expectations? I mean, what sort of transformation could Donald Trump or Kamala Harris bring about as the new president, or would there be a transformation? For example, is it possible for the F-35 programme to resume?" President Erdoğan replied:
"I hope that successor will be better than the predecessor. We have encountered the F-35 issue in the United States not only during Donald Trump's presidency but also in the times that have followed. They haveall let us down. So have the Republicans and the Democrats. Now, we will see whether this will continue in the new process. They owe us 1 billion 450 million dollars. This is a very significant amount. Now, we will continue to take steps to collect this amount.
Considering all of these, we need to see the potential benefits and drawbacks of the November elections. At the end of this process, we will re-evaluate the relations between Türkiye and the United States. We will take our steps accordingly. We hope that the outcome will be auspicious.”
"Peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan will pave the way for new opportunities"
When it was referred to his reception of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia at the Turkevi Centre and asked, “In his statements so far, Pashinyan has expressed his intention to elevate the relations with both Türkiye and Azerbaijan. In light of your meeting yesterday, particularly regarding the Zangezur Corridor, can decisions be taken that could elevate Türkiye-Armenia relations and Türkiye-Azerbaijan relations?", President Erdoğan made the following remarks:
"Considering Mr Pashinyan's stance, he does not seem to be in a negative frame of mind. They demand that we, as Türkiye, mediate a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, ensuring their coexistence as peaceful neighbours as soon as possible. This is already what we are seeking and striving for.
I hope that we will provide a progressive resolution and settlement to the concerns between Azerbaijan and Armenia, allowing us to move forward. Because both sides seek peace. Azerbaijan is currently in such a state of expectation and endeavour. This is also what we have observed on the Armenian side. We believe that the climate of peace and tranquility that will be established will be the best for everyone. Peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan will pave the way for new opportunities and gains for both countries. The successful conclusion of this peace process will also have a positive impact on the normalisation efforts between Türkiye and Armenia."
In response to the question about whether Türkiye will join BRICS and ASEAN, President Erdoğan said, "First of all, I believe that our participation and presence in BRICS and ASEAN will alter the arithmetic of the regions. It will facilitate the building of a markedly different structure. We cannot overlook the fact that we have ties with continental Europe and America, as well as Central Asia, Russia, the Baltic region, or the Far East. Likewise, we enjoy a deep-rooted history with Arab geography and Gulf countries, as well as close ties with Africa."
Noting that Türkiye is encouraged to establish a diversified partnership architecture owing to its geographical position and millennia of history, President Erdoğan said:
"We cannot sever our ties with the Turkic and Islamic worlds solely due to our NATO membership. BRICS and ASEAN are entities harbouring opportunities for us, particularly to expand our economic cooperation. Engaging in these structures does not signify a relinquishment of NATO membership. Specifically, we do not believe that these alliances and collaborations are necessarily substitutes for one another. Notwithstanding some international tensions in the modern world, the Cold War era is long gone. Those advising against our accession to BRICS or any other structure are the same ones who have kept us waiting at the doorstep of the European Union, an entity we have strived to join for years. We can by no means shape our future by counting on them."