President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, answering journalists’ questions aboard the plane on his return from a visit to Kyrgyzstan, emphasised that Türkiye is a country capable of developing balanced relations with both the West and the East.
President Erdoğan recalled that, at the invitation of President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, a dialogue partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), attended this year’s Summit as a guest of honour. He also noted that, together with other leaders, he attended the opening ceremony of the 6th World Nomad Games on the evening of 31 August.
Congratulating the Kyrgyz people on Independence Day, celebrated on 31 August, President Erdoğan said: “Through my dear brother, President Japarov, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Kyrgyz people for their gracious hospitality.”
President Erdoğan noted that the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which was founded 30 years ago as the “Shanghai Five”, has over time grown into the largest regional organisation, bringing together nearly 30 countries and international organisations. He stated that the Organisation is a unique structure that brings together the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East.
Drawing attention to the fact that the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation represents an economic area worth a total of $35 trillion and a population of more than 4 billion, President Erdoğan said:
“Our trade volume with the Organisation’s member states alone is approaching $150 billion annually. As Türkiye, given our growing economy and strategic position between East and West, we are working to further strengthen our relations with this vast economic and demographic landscape. Indeed, our ‘Asia Anew’ initiative, launched in 2019, is a reflection of this approach. Another important factor bringing us closer to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is the culture of regional ownership that we share. In my address at the Summit, I highlighted this point and also had the opportunity to set out our diplomatic approach based on multilateralism and cooperation. I provided information on our efforts in areas such as combating climate change and energy, which cannot be considered separately from global justice, stability, and sustainable development.”
Recalling that he also met with his counterparts on the margins of the Summit, President Erdoğan said: “We discussed the issues on our agenda in detail with the leaders of Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, and the Russian Federation. I also exchanged views with my interlocutors, including the Secretary-General of the United Nations.”
President Erdoğan stressed that, as the westernmost Asian and easternmost European country, Türkiye would continue to be a natural part of every initiative with which it shares common values. He went on to say, “In particular, we will maintain our principled stance in favour of resolving the various conflicts and crises occurring in our region through dialogue and diplomacy on the basis of international law. With these thoughts, I hope that our visit will yield beneficial results for our country, our nation, our region, and all humanity.”
“Everyone now sees that Türkiye offers tremendous opportunities”
In response to a journalist’s question, “How will the decisions taken at the Bishkek Summit affect economic relations between Türkiye and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation? Is there a possibility of Türkiye taking its cooperation with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation towards full membership?”, President Erdoğan said:
"Dear friends, first and foremost, the Bishkek Summit demonstrated our country's commitment to diversifying its economic, political, and strategic options. Türkiye maintains bilateral trade and economic relations with Shanghai Cooperation Organisation member countries. Everyone recognises that Türkiye offers exceptional commercial and economic opportunities across a vast geography, ranging from China to Central Asia and from Russia to South Asia. Our relations with the organisation have improved significantly in recent years, reflecting our understanding of multidimensional foreign policy. Türkiye is a country capable of developing balanced relations with both the West and the East and deepening those relationships accordingly. Türkiye's approach also strengthens its goal of solving global problems through cooperation and effective multilateralism. It is also possible for us to advance our relations with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in the future. I would like to emphasise one point in particular: Türkiye's membership perspective in the organisation never entails abandoning the West or separating from any bloc. Our goal is to throw our weight around with 360-degree vision."
In response to the question, "Your meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin was one of the topics that received as much attention as the summit. How did your meeting on the sidelines of the summit go overall? Which issues did you discuss?", President Erdoğan said:
"We held a bilateral meeting with Mr Putin. We had the opportunity to discuss developments, particularly those involving Russia and Ukraine, during this meeting, which was extremely productive. The environment was very friendly. We have significant cooperation with Russia in a variety of areas, including energy, trade, tourism, and investment. Above all, we welcome millions of Russian tourists to our country. No other country sends as many tourists to Türkiye. As you know, Germany used to be well up on this list as well. However, Russia eventually surpassed it. Türkiye is taking an active role in the peaceful resolution of regional conflicts. Both President Putin and we hope to see the war between Russia and Ukraine brought to a peaceful end as soon as possible. We want a peace process between Russia and Ukraine to begin in this region as soon as possible so that peace can be established. It is clear that this war has had a negative impact on our region, the world, and the parties involved. So, is Putin happy with this? He is not. He, too, expects the situation to be resolved favourably as soon as possible. We told President Putin that we are willing to do everything in our power to promote peace. Peace, rather than war, will prevail. For this, we are prepared to make every effort."
Another journalist asked, "The first major meeting of the Mecca Alliance was held in İstanbul. We know that this alliance has extremely disturbed some countries in the region. Why are they so disturbed by a defence cooperation initiative aimed at promoting peace across a broad geography?", and President Erdoğan answered:
"The meeting held in İstanbul is very important. The Strategy, Politics, and Military Committee met to take the alliance's first concrete step forward. The Foreign Ministers, Ministers of National Defence, and Chiefs of General Staff of the three countries came together. In line with our approach, which argues that concrete steps should be taken as soon as possible, we outlined the issues that need to be addressed at the technical level. First and foremost, a secretariat needs to be established and made operational. Military and political issues need to be addressed within this framework. The defence industry is an important area of cooperation. In addition, within the scope of military operational cooperation, technical matters such as military training, military standardisation, and the sharing of information on military threats, as well as available capabilities and capacities, were discussed. Decisions were taken regarding the timeline and manner in which these measures will be implemented. There are very few countries that have openly opposed this alliance, although there are also countries that have expressed their opposition discreetly. In particular, the balance between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Türkiye makes it difficult for many actors to openly criticise this alliance. This alliance was established for stability and security in our region. We will continue on our path together with our brothers and sisters, growing stronger."
"The US has now also recognised the realities of Syria"
In response to a question regarding “the decision to dissolve the YPG-PYD structure of the terrorist organisation in Syria as part of the Terror-Free Türkiye process", President Erdoğan said that he welcomed the decision on behalf of the brotherly Syrian people.
Emphasising that they viewed both the decision and the achievement of integration positively, President Erdoğan continued:
"We are, of course, closely monitoring the implementation of the decision on the ground, both from the Syrian side and from our side as a neighbouring country sharing a very long border with Syria. More than anyone, we want to see Syria united and whole, with all its constituent elements. This is important for sustainable development and capacity building in Syria. We have always stood by our Syrian brothers and sisters in this regard, and we will continue to stand by them. In this respect, President Ahmed al-Sharaa, thankfully, has successfully managed and continues to manage difficult processes. We are hopeful both about the integration process and about the gains achieved by the Syrian people in a short period of time. I believe that this process will open the door to a new era not only for Türkiye and Syria but for the entire region. The chapter of terrorism must now be closed; the era of weapons and violence must come to an end."
Asked about "the recent emphasis in U.S. policy toward Syria on the country’s territorial integrity, including the fact that American officials have begun to emphasise the principle of 'one flag, one army,' and whether he sees a convergence between Washington’s position and the Syria policy Türkiye has advocated for years," President Erdoğan stated that Türkiye has said the same thing about Syria in the past as it does today.
Emphasising that Syria cannot become an area where terrorist organisations operate freely and that instability there could spread throughout the entire region, President Erdoğan stated that Türkiye had ultimately been proven right, adding:
"So, the US has now also recognised the realities of Syria. The Syrian people paid a very heavy price, but they stood up for their homeland. Now they are working to rebuild the whole of Syria. In this regard, I call on all neighbouring countries and all countries friendly toward Syria to assist in the reconstruction and rebuilding of Syria. We will make this call and continue to do so. The situation in Syria is also significant, as it demonstrates the accuracy of our vision and the realism of our Syria policy. The issue of combating provocations is also crucial. It is critical that those who seek to undermine Syria's internal peace are not given a chance. The path to stability in Syria lies in removing the seeds of discord."
"We are not giving up on developing our own air defence systems"
Responding to a question about whether claims that steps could be taken to transfer the S-400s to a third country as part of Türkiye’s return to the F-35 programme had come up during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Erdoğan stated that he and President Putin had discussed all issues on their bilateral agenda.
Noting that Türkiye had been one of the partners in the F-35 programme and had made substantial contributions to it, President Erdoğan stated that talks on Türkiye's return to the programme were continuing. We believe that once the processes in the United States are completed, the matter will be behind us. While pursuing all these diplomatic efforts, we are not giving up on KAAN. We are not giving up on developing our own air defence systems. On the contrary, we are increasing Türkiye's options. This is what a strong Türkiye is. This is the roadmap of a strong Türkiye."
Responding to a question about whether the issue of commercial and Turkish vessels being targeted in the Black Sea during the Russia-Ukraine war had been discussed with Russian President Putin and whether a joint solution would be developed, President Erdoğan stressed that Türkiye attaches importance to the safety of all civilian maritime transport in the Black Sea, not only Turkish-flagged vessels or those operated by Turkish companies.
President Erdoğan underlined that the conflict between the parties should not be allowed to reach a point that would undermine civilian safety and commercial activity, stating, "For these reasons, we are pursuing a much broader perspective. We need to solve this problem. Because the damage it causes is now growing exponentially. There is a need for a mechanism that will permanently ensure the security of commercial maritime transport in the Black Sea. I would like to make it clear that we are seeing the grain crisis re-emerge, particularly across the African continent. It would be advantageous to take the initiative before the problem escalates."
"Türkiye has no designs on anyone's territory"
President Erdoğan responded as follows to a question about Türkiye’s position should Greece continue to militarise the Aegean islands with demilitarised status:
"What should we do? What is expected of us? To do what is necessary. We want our relations with Greece to proceed on the basis of good-neighbourly relations. If we were to call out from Kaş, from our territory, to Greece, they would hear us, would they not? Yet, we have been sincere in every matter. We have been the constructive side. However, most of the time, we have not seen our goodwill reciprocated. First of all, Greece must understand that Türkiye has no designs on anyone's territory but neither will it allow anyone to infringe upon its rights. Ignoring and violating international agreements will benefit no one. Whoever interprets Türkiye's calm and prudent approach as weakness is, I say openly, making a grave mistake. Greece should turn back from the wrong path it has taken and abandon the militarisation of islands with demilitarised status. History is an excellent guide for those who are willing to learn its lessons. We will continue to work for peace, security, and stability in our region."