On his return flight from his visit to Azerbaijan, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan answered journalists' questions regarding the agenda. Stating that they successfully completed their working visit to the cities of Zangilan and Jabrayil in Azerbaijan, President Erdoğan noted that they inaugurated Zangilan International Airport with President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan.
Stating that the completed airport in Zangilan, which was in an extremely important location, would provide a significant added value not only for Azerbaijan but also for the entire region, President Erdoğan said, "Re-establishing the region's connection with the world and strengthening the transportation lines are strategic moves. We will, Inshallah, crown these initiatives with the introduction of Lachin Airport."
Stressing that they laid the foundation of the Karabakh Jabrayil Forestry Training Centre and Nursery, launched the first phase of the Zangilan Smart Agricultural Village Project, and last year they had laid the foundation of Dost Agropark, President Erdoğan said that this modern facility would make a significant contribution to efforts to develop rural areas by facilitating organic agriculture, animal husbandry, and food business activities.
Underlining that Azerbaijan was rapidly continuing the reconstruction and development moves it started in the lands liberated from occupation, President Erdoğan went on to say:
"When we visited Shusha and Fuzuli last year, we inspected the work on the liberated lands. Seeing where Karabakh has reached after a year and observing its day-by-day development made me extremely happy. It is a source of pride for us that our institutions and Turkish companies have their shares in these projects. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate once again all the Azerbaijani people, particularly my brother, Ilham. I believe that with Azerbaijan's investment moves, Karabakh will soon become the shining star of the region."
Stating that they discussed bilateral relations and regional and international developments during their meeting with Aliyev, President Erdoğan said:
"Once again, we reaffirmed that our shared vision for the South Caucasus is founded on peace, stability, and development. The determination of the region's borders, the opening of the link road between Nakhchivan and the western regions of Azerbaijan, and the signing of the peace agreement will constitute significant steps towards the normalisation of the region. The opportunity for permanent peace in the region was gained after many years and at a great cost. We sincerely expect Armenia to seize this historic opportunity. There is no doubt that progress in the Azerbaijan-Armenia negotiations will also benefit the normalisation process between Türkiye and Armenia. We are determined to further strengthen our cooperation with brotherly Azerbaijan in every field with the slogan of 'one nation, two states.' I hope that my visit will be auspicious not only for our bilateral relations but also for our entire region."
"8 million tonnes of grain were supplied to global markets"
After recalling that the term of the grain deal would expire next month, the following questions were posed to President Erdoğan, "You are discussing the issue with both Mr Putin and Mr Zelensky. Did the Russian side provide a clear response regarding the extension of this term? When considering the latest developments in the field, do you have any concerns regarding the continuation of the agreement?", and President Erdoğan pointed out that 8 million tonnes of grain and other food products were supplied to global markets by 363 ships as of October 20, 2022, as part of the Black Sea Grain Corridor initiative.
Noting that 62 per cent of the shipments from Ukrainian ports arrived in Europe, 19.5 per cent in Asia, 13 per cent in Africa, and 5.3 per cent in Middle East countries, President Erdoğan said that 454 thousand 626 tonnes of wheat were shipped to the least developed countries, which corresponds to only 5.7 per cent of the total amount.
Stressing that corn, wheat, sunflower oil, rapeseed and sunflower seed meal stand out, President Erdoğan stated that the share of these products in the total was around 96 per cent. President Erdoğan said, "There is no impediment to extending the shipping agreement. I observed this again during my meetings with Mr Zelensky last night and Mr Putin. In the meanwhile, if there is a blockage, there is no impediment to overcoming it."
"We are hopeful"
When asked, "You are the only leader who can meet with Mr Putin and Mr Zelensky. Could a negotiation table be established under the mediation efforts of Türkiye to put an end to the war permanently?" President Erdoğan replied:
"Regarding this issue, I have observed that Mr Putin is now far more moderate and open to negotiations than he was in the past. We will determine where these issues may lead by listening to both leaders with the phone diplomacy that we will conduct in the coming days. Yesterday, during my conversation with Mr Zelensky, I had the impression that he did not have such a blockage and was also in favour of overcoming it. We are hopeful. We hope that by bringing the two leaders together, we will continue on the path to peace. Because both sides have severe losses. I believe that peace will have no losers."
After stressing that the cost of living and energy crisis in Europe led to protests, and asked, "Russia had a proposal to establish a transit energy centre. When comparing Europe and Türkiye, it is clear that Türkiye is far from this problem and even plays a role in finding solutions. When you address this transit energy centre with your European counterparts do they have expectations from Türkiye about energy, what are your thoughts on the matter?" President Erdoğan said:
"Of course, they cannot get natural gas from Russia as they want, whenever they want from now on. What are their expectations? They wonder, if Türkiye becomes the 'hub' of this business, will such natural gas demands from Türkiye be met or not? Likewise, of course, whether there would be a supply from Azerbaijan, namely TANAP, for the demand. I see that my brother Ilham Aliyev has a positive view on this issue. We will evaluate all of these, assess the evolving process and take our steps accordingly."
"It continues as planned"
When reminded of US Senator Bob Menendez's statement that he would not approve the F-16 bill on Türkiye, and asked, "Is it possible for this process to be hindered by the signature of a senator? And you are already in talks at the level of the governments. On the other hand, the harsh rhetoric of the Athens government against Türkiye is obvious. How will these countries explain the attitude of the Athens and Washington alliance in the future, which is against the NATO member Türkiye?" President Erdoğan responded that the work on the F-16 was started last year and that this process is currently continuing as planned.
Stating that the United States Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin also expressed their support for this as an administration, ministry, and military during his meeting with the Minister of National Defence Hulusi Akar, President Erdoğan continued as follows:
"Our Ministry of National Defence held four meetings between delegations on this issue, three in Türkiye and one in the United States. The procedure continues. The statements of senators such as Menendez are their personal opinions and personal claims; they do not reflect the official position in any way. In addition, their relations with Greece are also another subject of review; why are they so biased on this issue? Again, at the Defence Ministers' meeting at NATO recently, Stoltenberg himself expressed his neutrality on this issue in a clear and unambiguous manner; he stated that the delivery of F-16s to Türkiye is an important event not only for Türkiye but also for NATO and that as Türkiye gets stronger and more ready, the average value of NATO will increase in this way. Therefore, we are closely following the developments and the process. We have done and continue to do whatever we can to ensure a positive outcome. But on the other hand, the world market is vast, so there are various solutions."
Stating that Menendez's opposition alone would not constitute an obstacle, President Erdoğan said:
"Anyone may propose a bill for consideration, but it must be passed by Congress, which is not the case in the current climate. In other words, a person's opposition does not change its course. On the other hand, the administration has already begun to move in a favourable path. During my most recent visit to the United States, I had several constructive talks with senators and congresspeople. In these conversations, I also heard senators who stated, 'I will meet with Menendez in person,' and observed that they did not embrace Menendez's approach. Therefore, the issue at hand is the general behaviour of Congress and the Senate. The administration's perspective is now growing in a favourable direction. Obviously, America is not our sole alternate route. As with the S400s, we also discuss alternatives outside the United States where necessary. We can proceed to the method of providing the required item from other suppliers. Such possibilities are available to us."
"I do not view it favourably"
Upon being asked, "On the agenda is the opulent lifestyles of fugitive FETO members in Sweden. How do you evaluate the fact that Sweden, which expects Türkiye's support for NATO membership, welcomes and harbours these fugitives for whom life sentences have been requested three times each?" President Erdoğan replied:
"Obviously, I do not view it favourably. In the meantime, the new prime minister of Sweden requested an appointment. I instructed our relevant officials to 'arrange an appointment and invite him to attend.' We will debate these concerns with him in our country as well. Our position on this issue has not changed. These terrorists, who have been subject to such punitive measures, must be apprehended and turned over to us. If they are not turned over to us, Sweden's membership will fail at the parliamentary level. The current prime minister has an approach that supports the fight against terrorism and terrorists. He has stated, 'We must not shelter terrorism and terrorists.' Clearly, our meeting will test their sincerity on this matter. It will be to their benefit and the benefit of the entire humanity. Our position will not shift because we have made no concessions in the fight against terrorism and have no intentions to do so in the future."
When he was informed that the Summit of the Organisation of Turkic States would be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on November 11 and asked, "In this context, you delivered a critical statement at the Istanbul summit exactly one year ago, stating, 'We sincerely hope to have the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus among us.' The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus will attend as an observer state, but will a path be opened for its permanent membership? Is this the expected outcome of the summit?" President Erdoğan responded:
"Nothing prevents us from expecting this. The participating nations are the ones who should truly send us a favourable signal. In other words, in our bilateral discussions here, the members of the Organisation of Turkic States always state, 'Whatever steps Türkiye takes in this regard, we will support it.' In fact, this was the approach we had at my meeting with my brother Ilham Aliyev today. We will surely work on it too here at the Organization of Turkic States Summit, and we will get the best possible outcome in Samarkand. Our hope is to engage in a joint work as the leaders of the Turkic States in line with the statements we made at the United Nations regarding the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus."
When asked when cultural and touristic trips to cities with historical and cultural identity, particularly Shusha in Karabakh, which was liberated from the Armenian occupation, would begin, President Erdoğan stated that the opening of Zangilan and other airports had paved the way for it.
President Erdoğan stated that the roads and infrastructure are nearing completion there, and said:
"I believe that after the superstructures are completed, travelling to Shusha will become considerably easier in a year. President Aliyev stated that a significant amount of money would be allocated to this region next year. Turkish contracting companies also say, 'If the plans come true, we will finish our work here in 1-1.5 years.' Of course, there are railways as well as highways. They are determined to finish them. As soon as they finish it, the road to Shusha will already be opened. These destinations will be visited by both domestic and international tourists. Shusha is Azerbaijan's most important attraction centre for this. President Aliyev, I believe, will make this centre of attraction much more appealing from now on, especially with the hotels that will be built. Because there are steps to be taken at that point, and Mr President never stops, really. Despite being single-storey buildings, these were built in a very short time and invigorated the area. However, hotel investments in Shusha will make it a centre of attraction and a tourist destination as well. We are opening the consulate general in Shusha."
"We are conservative revolutionaries"
When asked, "Your statement that you are a conservative revolutionary has received a lot of attention and sparked a lot of debate. What does a conservative revolutionary oppose? What does a conservative revolutionary stand for and oppose?", President Erdoğan commented:
"We are conservative revolutionaries. We are conservative, for we defend our national and moral values without compromise and protect our rights and interests under any circumstances. We are also revolutionary as we take revolutionary steps in every field, from politics based on projects and service to democracy, rights, and freedoms for our country, and we stand against oppression and injustice in the world. Contrary to the so-called revolutionism that destroys and leaves no stone unturned, this is true revolutionism, which constantly reads, works, produces, builds, develops, and makes progress to contribute to the values of its own civilisation. This is what conservative revolutionism is."