Regarding the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, "Zelensky specifically requested that Russia remove all planted mines and other forms of weaponry from this territory so that the situation immediately ceases to be frightening."
On his return flight from his visit to Ukraine, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan answered journalists' questions and commented on current affairs. President Erdoğan noted that his working visit to Lviv at the invitation of President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine was his first visit to Ukraine after the outbreak of the war and said that all aspects of bilateral relations were discussed in his meetings with Zelensky.
President Erdoğan stated that the war, which has been ongoing for over six months, was the primary focus of the meeting and added, "I assured him that our support and solidarity for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine would continue. I also stressed that we would continue to contribute to the resolution of the war through dialogue and diplomacy. I reiterated to President Zelensky, as I did to President Putin during my Sochi visit that we can host a meeting between them."
President Erdoğan stressed that during the visit, they also held a trilateral meeting with the participation of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and stated that the meeting's focus was on ways to sustain and improve the operations of the mechanism established for the export of Ukrainian grain.
President Erdoğan stated that, during the meeting, he had underlined the need for the international community to assume greater responsibility for reviving the diplomatic process.
President Erdoğan said that during his visit, they discussed the extent of the physical destruction caused by the war in Ukraine and the aid provided to Ukraine, adding, "I stated that Türkiye, as we have done so in the past, will continue to stand by them in the reconstruction process of Ukraine. President Zelensky expressed his appreciation for our country's strong support and diplomatic efforts."
President Erdoğan said that, during the visit, a memorandum of understanding on cooperation was signed between the Turkish Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine, adding, "This memorandum will serve as a guide for our reconstruction efforts in Ukraine. "
President Erdoğan said that they agreed to maintain contacts at all levels in order to bolster cooperation with strategic partner Ukraine, and he wished that the meetings would lead to auspicious results for the region and global peace and stability.
"This year's UN General Assembly will be slightly different"
President Erdoğan was reminded that he had taken the initiative since the beginning of the war and that he met with Putin, Zelensky and Guterres and was asked, "The UN General Assembly will be held soon. You mentioned that in your statement. You said that the trilateral meeting in Ukraine focused on how to bring an end to the war. Do you expect a positive outcome prior to the UN meeting? What was Zelensky's take regarding this point?", and he replied:
"We are, of course, in the midst of a war. During a time of war, calculations are irrelevant. Therefore, it is impossible to say anything for certain or set a date for the end of the war because the war's progression is so brutal. There is obviously a reason why we are in Lviv today and why we chose to hold this meeting here. We had a similar meeting with President Putin in Sochi, Russia. Likewise, we held a meeting here, and it was fruitful. Guterres also came here and then went to Kyiv after the meeting. He continued his work in Kyiv. This year's UN General Assembly will obviously be slightly different. According to the information we have received from relevant colleagues, the level of participation will be higher. Of course, we will see this at the UN General Assembly. The messages that will be delivered there will be extremely significant. The messages that Türkiye and other nations will convey are of the utmost importance. Therefore, we must make the necessary preparations and proceed accordingly. When we look at what has happened on the ground, we can see an interruption mechanism at many points. There have been unexpected, unforeseen interruptions. In light of this, I believe this year’s UN General Assembly will be slightly different."
"An element of threat"
President Erdoğan was reminded that warnings were made about Zaporizhzhia, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, that he also emphasised, 'We do not want a new Chernobyl'. When asked whether Türkiye would step in to ensure security and put an end to conflicts near the nuclear power plant, as it did with the grain corridor, he replied that the Zaporizhzhia issue is unlike any other issue.
Emphasising that the International Atomic Energy Agency, as the primary authority, should closely monitor this issue and assume some responsibility for what needs to be done, President Erdoğan continued:
"For the time being, Ukraine has effective and competent personnel in this field. Zelensky specifically requested that Russia remove all planted mines and other forms of weaponry from this territory so that the situation immediately ceases to be frightening because it is an element of threat. That is what I meant by saying, 'We do not want a new Chernobyl.' We will discuss this issue with President Putin and specifically request that Russia play its part as a crucial step toward achieving world peace. They need to take this step. Ukraine has its own technical personnel and soldiers in Zaporizhzhia. They are guarding the power plant with technical personnel and soldiers."
"We have the power to do whatever it takes at any moment"
In response to the question, "From the very beginning, you have stated that you respect Syria's territorial integrity. 'The opposition and the regime in Syria must reconcile. The regime prefers a military solution, but the final solution is political' as we declare. Although the Astana and Geneva processes were cited as examples as a requirement of this promise, when the Foreign Minister reiterated this statement, there was a perception in Türkiye, particularly among the opposition, that 'Türkiye could not defeat Assad and now it is preparing the ground for a deal'. We would like to hear about the latest developments in Syria, and we would like you to assess the opposition's point of view," President Erdoğan said:
"We don't have a problem like defeating Assad or not. If the opposition in Türkiye takes it to this level, it demonstrates both the quality and the weight of the opposition," and reminded that all the steps taken in Syria, all the efforts carried out with Russians, especially in the north of Syria in the region from the east and west of the Euphrates to the Mediterranean, are part of the fight against terrorism.
President Erdoğan pointed out that they were continuing the fight against terrorism together and said:
"Some of these are carried out in collaboration with the Russians, while others are carried out with our own soldiers and security forces. I always argue that vigorous opposition is one of the most crucial characteristics of a democracy. Obviously, we lack strong opposition parties. This is the problem. In other words, the opposition is unaware of the current situation in Syria. We are, on the other hand, fighting there with the same determination we had since the Obama era. Our declaration that 'we can come unexpectedly one night’ is not in vain. When the time comes, this will be done. But let me say, no one should ask Türkiye, 'Are you prepared for such a thing?’ We are prepared for all these. We are not only prepared, but we have the power to do whatever it takes at any moment."
President Erdoğan stated that the US is currently stockpiling thousands of trucks of weapons, ammunition, vehicles, and equipment in the region and continued his speech as follows:
"And who is it doing this for? Totally for terrorist organisations. The US cannot claim, 'I did not feed terrorism.’ It is the US and the coalition forces that have fuelled terrorism in Syria in the first place; they have done so relentlessly and continue to do so. They never got tired of it and did the same thing in Iraq. Who is it for? Once again, for terrorist organisations. If there is unrest in Iraq today, America is undoubtedly behind it. They even meet with the leaders of these terrorist organisations at the White House. We know all these. These are facts. Similarly, Russia stands in solidarity with the regime. During my visit, we also discussed these issues with them. I said we needed to figure it out. Let us show such solidarity with Russia so that we can fight terrorism in Syria, particularly in the north, east or west. Now we always ask, where do these terrorists get the funding? Here are the terrorists who are now extracting low-quality oil in Qamishli right now. Who buys it then? The regime. The money comes from the regime. They buy it. All these facts are widely known. On the other hand, there are always Iran's plans here. These plans are before us. We want that we do not prolong the process here any longer. We have no interest in Syria's territory since the Syrian people are our sisters and brothers. There is no such issue there. We value their territorial integrity. This fact must be known by the regime.”
Stating that they also discussed these issues with Putin during his Sochi visit, President Erdoğan said: "I hope for the upcoming period that the constitution in Syria will be made as soon as possible, that it will be maintained, and that all of the people's concerns in this respect will be resolved. At this time, the pressure exerted by those who fled from there and sought refuge was on us. Four million individuals reside on our land. Are we hosting all of them just to maintain a constant state of war with the regime? No. We are doing it for the sake of our ties with the Syrian people, particularly for our shared belief values. The process in the upcoming period may be much more auspicious.”
"You cannot take diplomacy out of the equation completely"
In response to the question, "During discussions, a statement by Mr Devlet Bahçeli drew attention. He said, 'Taking political dialogue negotiations or contact with Syria to the level of political dialogue should be considered seriously.' referring to the fight against terrorism in northern Syria. How would you evaluate these words?" President Erdoğan said:
"We must know and embrace the fact that the political dialogue and diplomacy between countries can never be terminated. There are and should always be dialogues of this nature. There is even a saying, 'Do not break the tie, even with a thread, let it continue. Eventually, it will be required.' Now, for example, we continue our contacts with Egypt in the region at a lower level, at the ministerial level. These relationships are not formed randomly. You cannot take diplomacy out of the equation completely. The whole world has realised how much we need diplomacy. We have always contributed to the solution. We have taken responsibility for solving the Syrian crisis. Our goal was regional peace, to safeguard our country from the serious threats and the risks posed by this crisis."
"Our friends are in constant contact"
In reference to the planned military operation against terrorist targets in northern Syria, a journalist posed the question, “While Türkiye remains on the field, it never abandons the diplomatic leg, diplomatic aspect of the operation. We know you occasionally brief your Russian and American counterparts on the actions of the PKK terrorist organisation and how they threaten Türkiye's border security. Is there a shift in Russia's perception of the PKK/YPG as a result of these briefings? Furthermore, sources and media outlets affiliated with the PKK see the forthcoming fifth operation as a Russian betrayal. Would you mind sharing your thoughts on this?” which was followed by a response from President Erdoğan:
“We are currently in contact with Russia for every move we make in Syria, including our security forces, intelligence, and Ministry of National Defence. Our friends are in constant contact with them. As am I with President Putin, we all say, ‘Let's secure this process.’ Syria, for example, was a key item of discussion for us during my most recent Sochi trip, and it was on the agenda. We are currently discussing terrorist acts with President Putin, as well as our Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence with their counterparts. In addition, we will continue to do so going forward. The heart wishes, for example, that we could have completed these processes with Iran with more effectiveness, but this had not been possible. Currently, we maintain with the same resolve this solidarity and unity with Russia. The upcoming phase will be carried out in the same manner."
When asked, “The normalisation process with Israel has begun recently as well, and it has been agreed to appoint ambassadors. First Saudi Arabia, then the United Arab Emirates, and finally Israel... You also brought up Egypt. I wonder, if we build a similar relationship with Egypt in the East Mediterranean as we have with Israel, could we interpret these relationships or connections overall as energy-based?” President Erdoğan responded, saying:
"It would be more precise to say that it is in political nature. This is what politics necessitates. Thus, politics is devoid of resentment. You must be at ease at all times. Always have the opportunity to meet. For instance, relations with Egypt are not at the desired top level, but we will continue these efforts with our counterparts at the lower level, in other words, the ministerial level, and then aspire to take this same step in the most effective manner at the top level because the Egyptian people are our sisters and brothers. We are incapable of becoming upset by the Egyptian people. We must therefore facilitate peace there as quickly as feasible. We also must secure additional steps with Syria at higher levels. I hope that by taking these steps, we will spoil many games in the entire region, namely in this region of the Islamic world with our neighbours."
Abdulhamid Han drillship
Upon the question, "The NAVTEX for the Abdulhamid Han drill ship included an important detail. Abdulhamid Han is accompanied by three ships named after the martyred Turkish Cypriot brothers Hakan, Kutsi, and Murat Ilhan, who were killed in TRNC. This was perceived to be an extremely vital and powerful message. On the other hand, the behaviour of Greece in the Aegean region is evident. What are your thoughts on this?" President Erdoğan said they were extremely happy the ships named after the three brothers were accompanying the Abdulhamid Han drilling ship.
Stating, "Hopefully, if the anticipated results begin to be obtained from here, it will make us even happier." President Erdoğan emphasised that Abdulhamid Han is one of the few ships in the world capable of drilling to a depth of 12,000 meters.
President Erdoğan further stated:
"It is currently unrivalled in its field. It has a special quality, a uniqueness in that sense. We are hoping for more excellent news. We will have to wait and see what the future holds. Obviously, certain individuals, particularly the main opposition party, are extremely uneasy with this. We named the ship Abdulhamid Han. You saw who took offence to this. Imagine this he is involved in politics and a historian who states that he has a deep understanding of history. But then he goes so far as to disrespect Abdulhamid Han. When push comes to shove, he poses as a conservative. As soon as we have the anticipated results from our Abdulhamid Han drilling ship, we will share this information with our nation. Hopefully, it will be very different, especially once we bring out our natural gas and oil."
Recalling the visit of King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah of Malaysia to Türkiye, President Erdoğan said, "Meanwhile, we discussed a few issues during the King of Malaysia's visit to our country. One of them is the joint step by Petronas and Turkish Petroleum Corporation. We intend to collaborate on this issue in one or two designated regions. I hope that, as three pillars of the process, our Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and Turkish Petroleum Corporation, on the one hand, Petronas on the other, and the Chinese on the other, will take a step forward together through this initiative. We are now happy to have 4 drilling vessels and 2 seismic research vessels. With all of them, we are now a force. May Allah bless us with auspicious results."
President Erdoğan was asked, "Are these joint exploration activities with Malaysia conducted in the Mediterranean, Black Sea or other regions?" and he replied, "No, other regions".
"We realise that our country's future holds favourable advancements"
When asked, "In your address celebrating the 21st anniversary of the AK Party's establishment, you referred to the Türkiye Economy Model and asserted that it is internally consistent. Can you provide an overall evaluation of the programme's course? In addition, reports and evaluations from international organisations indicating that Türkiye may suffer issues with its balance of payments, particularly during the autumn, mostly due to a significant increase in energy bills, began to arrive all at once. Such negative energy seems to be collecting for the autumn. Do you currently have a message for the market?" President Erdoğan replied:
"With the Türkiye Economy Model, we aimed to ensure the sustainability of macroeconomic stability. Our primary objective was to increase high-value-added production. This was articulated as a set of policies intended to achieve a lasting improvement in the current account balance. While developing the model, we considered numerous parameters, such as our country's prior experiences, its internal and external dynamics, its geostrategic advantage, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the subsequent prospects provided by the new global economic order. Obviously, the model's design never compromises the principles of a free market economy. The model's primary policy instruments include efforts to boost Turkish lira savings, selective lending policies, and actions to improve the investment climate. Recently, we have begun to observe the positive consequences of the policies enacted within the model's scope. Besides, according to the IMF's most recent statements, Türkiye is in a significantly different economic position than the rest of the globe and has attained a far more precise growth parameter. We are in such a situation, and we realise that our country's future holds not negative but favourable advancements."
Discounted sales in the supermarkets of Agricultural Credit Cooperatives
When asked, "Regarding the economy, let's continue with an agenda item. Agricultural Credit Cooperatives supermarkets have begun offering discounts. In fact, you made a promise during another overseas trip, declaring, ‘We will grow the number of Agricultural Credit Cooperatives supermarkets to 1,000.’ You kept your word and even went above and beyond. Currently, you appear to have exceeded the 1000 goal by 40 per cent. The numbers also reveal that Agricultural Credit Cooperatives offer discounts. What kind of information do you get about these markets? Our state's economy is expanding significantly. On the other hand, high prices harm the household economies of the citizens. You have previously expressed this. Will the system work well with Agricultural Credit Cooperatives to avoid exorbitant prices? Are the discounts permanent or temporary? Will these deals be sustainable?" President Erdoğan responded:
"Firstly, through this action performed by the Agricultural Credit Cooperatives, we are providing affordable goods to our citizens while simultaneously disciplining some others. Agricultural Credit Cooperatives currently operate 1300-1400 supermarkets. Here, we instruct the Agricultural Credit Cooperatives, 'Come to us with 250-, 300-, or 400-square-metre buildings to open supermarkets, and we will give you the products. No working capital is required for the products. Agricultural Credit Cooperatives will provide it.' Why do we say this? To expand the present number of markets to 2,000 and then 2,500, not to fix it to 1,400, and to achieve market equilibrium as Agricultural Credit Cooperatives. Because we are not interested in making money here, we solely care about providing our citizens with affordable, high-quality products. For instance, we offered to apply this discount to meat items, not only lamb but also veal products. Immediately, the opposing parties were green with envy, declaring, ‘They are deceiving and fooling the people, there is no such thing, etc.’ Currently, there are no products left on the shelves of the Agricultural Credit Cooperatives. They are making intense efforts to place products. Two days ago, I had a conversation with the General Manager in which I suggested that the number of warehouses should be increased immediately so that we have no problems placing products for our markets throughout Türkiye. The Minister and the General Manager are both working hard on this right now. After all, the other chain markets have already started to lower their prices because of what happened at the Agricultural Credit Cooperative markets, and they will continue to do so. Our only concern here is keeping the market balanced and providing cheap and quality products for the citizens."
"We're making a determined effort to keep up our measures against earthquakes"
In response to the question, "It has been 23 years since the August 17 earthquake. How far have we come in urban transformation? In addition, the vast majority of people eagerly await the social housing project. Will the privileged, quota-allocated sections be expanded? For example, will the disabled be included in this?" President Erdoğan said:
"We're making a determined effort to keep up our measures against earthquakes. In this context, urban transformation initiatives are a top priority. In 20 years, we built 1 million 170 thousand residences and workplaces with TOKİ (Housing Development Administration of the Republic of Türkiye). Currently, we are working quickly to transform 350 thousand residences in 81 provinces. If all goes well, we will have a ceremony today to hand over the first phase of residences in Esenler as part of the Great Istanbul Transformation of 60,000 residences. Our goal with our social housing campaign is to provide 2+1 and 3+1 houses to meet the needs of our people. Our disabled brothers and sisters, families and veterans, and retired citizens will all be able to benefit from these residences. For the first time, we allocate a separate quota for our young people and those who just got married. We will offer the best prices and payment options to our citizens. Of course, it is of great benefit to underline this here. In many European countries, they can't provide housing in the aftermath of earthquakes, floods, and other natural disasters, they don’t provide housing, and they can't conduct urban transformation.
However, after the earthquakes in Bingöl, Van, Malatya and Elazığ, we built the houses with their infrastructure and superstructure in all of these places quickly, within a year, and provided them to our citizens. He passed away, but during Mr Ecevit's tenure as prime minister, when we experienced an earthquake in Gölcük, there were no tents, let alone houses. I was not the mayor at the time; upon my release from prison, I went directly to the areas, and we experienced the same situation as citizens in those regions. How was Gölcük, how was Sakarya, how was Yalova? Were they able? They were unable, yet, praise be to Allah, we responded to all of them and met all their housing needs and demands. Look at Malatya; in the same manner, we provided everything from the houses to the barns. This job is a job of passion, and those who run with passion never get tired. This will continue in the future as well."
Kılıçdaroğlu's statement on voter information
In response to the question, "Chairperson of the CHP (Republican People's Party) Kılıçdaroğlu recently said, 'The voter information that we have is not in the Supreme Election Council.' There are, however, certain speculations, such as this one, which states that "some of the acts the government plans to conduct are served or leaked to Kılıçdaroğlu earlier." What would you like to say about this interesting situation?" President Erdoğan said:
"Do you believe these statements of Kılıçdaroğlu? The man's life is a lie. Not because he knows anything. Surely, the President of the YSK (Supreme Election Council) and his team should report this to the judiciary, in my opinion. This man should be made to pay for it before the court. Occasionally he attacks prosecutors, and sometimes he attacks judges, but they are hesitant and afraid for some reason. You are safeguarded by the Constitution. The Constitution states, 'Absolutely, such statements cannot be made to the judiciary.' Hopefully, my people will once again teach him a lesson at the ballot box in 2023."