"We discussed the necessary steps to achieve our goal of a trade volume of one billion dollars. We explored ways to encourage more Turkish investment. We have signed agreements in the fields of economy and energy," said President Erdoğan.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke to journalists and received questions during his return flight from his visit to Ethiopia.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that they had completed their one-day visit to Addis Ababa, which took place at the invitation of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and expressed his contentment at returning to Ethiopia, one of Africa’s leading states, after nearly 11 years.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the Ethiopian authorities for their warm welcome and kind hospitality. President Erdoğan indicated that several areas were addressed during the discussions, including trade, investment, and the defence industry, with a particular focus on energy and transportation, among others. He also added:
"We discussed the necessary steps to achieve our goal of a trade volume of one billion dollars. We explored ways to encourage more Turkish investment. We have signed agreements in the fields of economy and energy. As you know, Ethiopia serves as a key connecting hub for flights across Africa. Therefore, they are currently working on a major airport project. We believe that our Turkish companies can contribute to this project. Ethiopia is the largest country in the strategically significant region known as the Horn of Africa. It has enormous potential, given its deep-rooted state tradition and a population of 130 million. Addis Ababa, which hosts the African Union and the United Nations, is known as Africa's diplomatic capital. The fact that our oldest embassy in Sub-Saharan Africa was opened in Addis Ababa in 1926 demonstrates that this ancient city has been central to our relations with the African continent throughout the Republic's history. They hosted a very important meeting, the African Union Summit, just prior to our visit. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties will also take place in Addis Ababa next year. In November, we will host the Conference of the Parties, and we hope to share our experiences with our Ethiopian brothers. As a result, one of the ways to realise Africa's potential is undoubtedly through Ethiopia."
“We have accomplished successful initiatives together, and inshallah, we will continue to do so in the future”
President Erdoğan mentioned their familiarity with working together with Ethiopia through the Ankara Process and cited that the Ankara Declaration, adopted in December 2024, strengthened trust between Ethiopia and Somalia. "We have accomplished successful initiatives together, and hopefully we will continue to do so," added President Erdoğan.
President Erdoğan stated that they regard the visit to Addis Ababa as a reflection of their partnership policies toward the African continent and added, "We shared this approach today with Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission. We discussed the 4th Türkiye-Africa Partnership Summit, which we will organise in the coming period with the organisation's contribution on issues related to the continent."
President Erdoğan stated that visiting the country of King Negus on the eve of Ramadan is especially meaningful and added, "I am pleased to extend my congratulations personally to Ethiopian Muslim brothers and sisters on this occasion. I believe that the visit to Ethiopia would soon yield fruitful results, and I hope that today’s meetings would contribute to peace and stability across the entire region."
"No one should doubt it"
President Erdoğan was reminded that, similar to its role in the Middle East, Türkiye has for years undertaken substantial efforts both on the ground and at the negotiating table to support the peace and integrity of many countries in Africa, and he was asked, "Does Türkiye have the capacity to achieve this in both the Middle East and Africa?" Are there any other countries that are supporting Türkiye in this struggle?"
President Erdoğan stated, “At no point in our history have we ever been colonialists as a nation,” adding that they regard the people of Africa as brothers and friends.
“The reason why eyes across the continent are turned toward our country today lies in this spotless record of ours. Mutual respect and equal partnership constitute the foundation, the compass, and the unchanging principle of our Africa policy. We have not viewed, nor do we view, the issues in Africa through an interest-driven or partisan lens. This perspective toward our country has also contributed to the success of our humanitarian diplomacy and our steps in peace diplomacy. We know that peace is established not merely by words but by willpower, and we act accordingly. Is Türkiye capable of establishing such peace? By Allah’s will, it certainly is—let no one have any doubt about that. Thankfully, we are not alone. Our word and our voice are now much stronger”, President Erdoğan remarked.
In response to a journalist’s question, “Africa had long been a neglected geography. During your tenure, embassies have been opened across Africa, with significant investments and services provided. What is your objective in your Africa policy?” President Erdoğan replied:
“We are striving to further develop our relations with Africa and advance our cooperation in every field, particularly in trade and investment. As you know, we have increased the number of our embassies on the continent to 44. When we took office, that number was 12. Currently, 38 African countries maintain embassies in Ankara. Turkish contractors have executed more than 2,000 projects across Africa, accumulating a total value exceeding $100 billion. The market value of our investments across the continent has exceeded 15 billion dollars. By 2025, our trade volume with the continent approached 35 billion dollars, reflecting a 10% increase. Tens of thousands of students from various regions across the continent are presently enrolled at universities in Türkiye. Graduates from Türkiye are playing active roles in numerous African nations across various sectors, including politics, business, academia, and civil society.
In response to a question regarding the "Terror-Free Türkiye" process, President Erdoğan stated, "We are advancing towards our objective of a Terror-Free Türkiye with both caution and determination, combining prudence with strength. We have initiated a commendable endeavour, and we hope to achieve success. This unwavering determination within our nation has now equally manifested itself in Syria. Encouraging developments are taking place there that support our vision of a terror-free zone. This also makes us happy. We are actively overseeing the progress aimed at complete integration. We are providing the necessary recommendations for the implementation of the agreement."
Emphasising that Syrian President Ahmed Shara remains confident and steadfast in his leadership in Syria, President Erdoğan stated:
"I have often emphasised that the fight against terrorism is not merely a matter of security. We consistently address the legal and social dimensions of the matter. Right now, we are handling this matter very diligently with both the Speaker of the Parliament and our colleagues in the commission. We are proceeding on this path with patience, wisdom, and determination. At the end of this path, the issue of terrorism that has plagued our country for years will, inshallah, be permanently eliminated from our agenda."
"We want the issues between Iran and the US to be resolved through dialogue"
In response to a question about the Iran issue, President Erdoğan expressed that they want the issues between Iran and the US to be resolved through dialogue.
Noting that they are in contact with both countries at the highest level, President Erdoğan said, "Both countries are at this point. I have recently met with the President of Iran. The very next day, I also had a meeting with President Trump of the USA. In all these meetings, we discussed how we can proceed. We are a country that constructs bridges and establishes the foundation for peace, rather than one that erects walls and incites conflicts. A new war targeting Iran would not benefit anyone; on the contrary, our region would lose."
President Erdoğan expressed that they maintain a positive outlook on the matter by advocating for peace, stating, "As Türkiye, we have communicated to all our counterparts that we oppose military intervention in Iran. We will continue to explain that such a military escalation and rising tension will drag our region into further uncertainty. There is hope as long as the door to diplomacy remains open. We will preserve and strengthen that hope,” President Erdoğan said.
"Our Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will represent our country at the Board of Peace meeting."
Responding to a question about whether Türkiye had received an invitation to the first meeting of the Board of Peace for Gaza, President Erdoğan stated:
“I hope that the Board of Peace for Gaza will contribute to the long-awaited permanent stability, a ceasefire, and ultimately peace in Gaza. In my view, the issue of Gaza is a test of humanity’s conscience. From the very first day, we have made clear where we stand in this test. The suffering endured by our Palestinian brothers and sisters in Gaza must now come to an end. The objective should be to make the ceasefire permanent, ensure the uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and strengthen the foundations of a two-state solution. We expect the Board of Peace for Gaza to serve this very purpose. As Türkiye, we have clearly declared that we will support any initiative that serves the interests of our brothers and sisters in Gaza. An invitation has been extended for the Board of Peace, and Türkiye will participate. As the meeting coincides with the first day of Ramadan, our country will be represented by our Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hakan Fidan.”
Asked whether Türkiye’s military presence — including the reported urgent deployment of its F-16s to safeguard Baltic airspace and its prominent role in NATO’s large-scale exercise in Germany, where a Bayraktar TB3 successfully struck its targets after taking off from the TCG Anadolu and 2,000 soldiers operated in the field — could be interpreted as proof that European security is inconceivable without Türkiye’s strength and resolve, President Erdoğan said Türkiye has long underlined, on every platform, that it would make substantial contributions to the European Union in multiple respects. “It is long overdue for Europe to include Türkiye in its existing defence and security mechanisms,” President Erdoğan said, adding:
“The world is changing. How much longer can the European Union remain captive to narrow agendas in an era of rapid transformation? It is difficult to understand. The right choice would be to remove the ideological barriers standing in the way of Türkiye’s integration with Europe and to add strength to Europe’s own power. They must now acknowledge that exclusionary approaches toward Türkiye, which disregard global realities, are far from rational. If there is an intention to establish a new security architecture in Europe, it is evident that any such effort without Türkiye would be insufficient. The Turkish Armed Forces are today among the largest and most capable within NATO. We have full confidence in our military. This is why we are not merely a country that speaks at the table, but one that demonstrates its capabilities on the ground. I hope it is now understood that a viable European security equation cannot be built without Türkiye.”