President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with young people and answered their questions at the Library Talks held at the Presidency's Nation's Library.
Upon the question, "What are the advantages of Canal Istanbul? Do we intend to withdraw from the Montreux Convention by doing so?" President Erdoğan stated that it was a canal with a length of 42-43 kilometres and that they were to connect the Black Sea to Marmara through this canal.
President Erdoğan continued as follows:
"The fact remains that these processes, such as whether the ships coming from the Black Sea and the Marmara would wait or not, are entirely within our control. This is unrelated to Montreux. Montreux was a convention related to the Bosphorus. Here, we are bringing about a project that will allow us to establish our independence, our sovereignty fully. The Canal Istanbul, which has nothing to do with Montreux, will bring us greater comfort and peace. When Canal Istanbul is completed, it will add to the İstanbul’s richness while relieving the Bosphorus of environmental concerns."
Türkiye's withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention
Upon the question, "We withdrew from the Istanbul Convention with your decision. Does your decision indicate that your, your cabinet's, or your Government's, views on women's rights and violence against women have changed?" President Erdoğan replied as follows:
"Unfortunately, due to the manner in which it was implemented, neither in our country nor around the world has the Istanbul Convention resulted in respect, particularly for women's rights. Currently, the Council of Europe and 11 of the European Union countries are on the verge of withdrawal. Does our Constitution condemn violence against women? It condemns it and refuses to accept it. Here, we need to focus on Law no. 6284 on the Protection of the Family and the Prevention of Violence Against Women. This already exists. We are members of such a civilization, such a religion that forbids violence against women, to begin with. If we absolutely need such a contract, we can draught one that is fairer, better, and stronger, call it the Ankara Convention, and go forward with that."
Upon the question, "A statement was issued at midnight by 104 retired admirals last week. In this statement, some highlights were made about the Turkish Armed Forces and the Canal Istanbul Project. Admirals made a second statement and said, 'Can we not express our thoughts freely?'. What is your opinion on this matter?" President Erdogan replied as follows:
"It does not matter if a soldier is retired or unretired. A soldier is a soldier. As president, I am now the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. How could you, as 104 retired admirals, go so far as to make a statement like that? This is not about your freedom. In fact, there are those among you who have already made it a habit. If you are interested in this so much, then you should enter politics. But of course, as the commander-in-chief, president, and a person responsible for ensuring the unity, solidarity, and well-being of my country, I can never tolerate the servicing of a text like this coordinated by 104 people sharing the same mentality. The judiciary will handle the rest of the process."
"Italian Prime Minister's statement is completely tactless"
Upon the question, "Italian Prime Minister called you a 'dictator'. What do you think about when similar rhetoric is used against you?", President Erdoğan replied as follows:
"First and foremost, the Italian Prime Minister's statement is completely tactless and impolite. At a time when we believe Turkish-Italian relations will improve, this man named Draghi has unfortunately undermined our relations by making such a statement. In reality, you were appointed to that position rather than elected by voters. Before you attempt to use such words against Tayyip Erdoğan, you first need to know your own history. But we see you are no way near having such knowledge. We will continue to serve our country with the strength we have received from our nation and our nation's will that has been submitted to us. As a result, you should never be concerned about whether the Italian Prime Minister uses this or that word; we should mind our own business."
"Unemployment rate indicates a favourable point"
Upon the question, "Many young people graduate successfully from universities but are unable to find jobs. Is there perhaps a problem in the planning?" President Erdoğan replied as follows:
"To begin with, I can say that the unemployment rate indicates a favourable point. In a period challenged by economic constraints, our unemployment rate is about 13%. The latest figure announced is actually not a sharp and serious increase. It was already 13-something, now it is just a little more. We were at an excellent level in tourism, but the Covid-19 problem triggering the decrease in tourism also affected employment adversely. Our administration has been the one ensuring the highest employment rate. We have provided substantial employment both for healthy citizens and for those with disabilities. What about long-term employment opportunities? It is all about credentials. A young person who demonstrates quality and qualifications will almost certainly be hired."
Developments in the Eastern Mediterranean
On the question, "What is your assessment of the current situation in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea? What direction will Türkiye's relations with other countries take in the near future? Will Türkiye maintain its current position, its current status on this issue?" President Erdoğan replied as follows:
"Of course, we made very serious leaps in the Eastern Mediterranean first with the agreement we made with Libya. Türkiye, with Libya, has put forward a serious determination regarding both seismic surveys and drilling. Here, in collaboration with Libya, we can conduct seismic surveys as well as drilling. Greece was disturbed by this because they do not have these facilities. However, Greece does not have the same rights as we do here. If we had not maintained a soft tone through all of these disputes and tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, the situation might have turned out differently, but we tolerated it. We've always returned our drilling ships for repairs and our seismic survey ship for maintenance as needed, but we've always said one thing. We said, 'Regarding Cyprus, we will never let anyone usurp the rights of Northern Cyprus, and we will intervene if necessary. Our ships are currently prepared; they can take specific actions at any time if those actions are required, and we will not withdraw from the negotiations. As long as they keep in their minds that they should respect Türkiye."
"Our vaccination figures indicate a favourable level"
Reminded of the Covid-19 pandemic period Türkiye has been going through and upon the question, "How well, according to you, is our vaccination speed, and do you think our state is doing well enough in this regard?" President Erdoğan noted that works were being carried out in coordination with the Scientific Committee.
Stating that the Government implemented the decisions recommended by the Scientific Committee, President Erdoğan noted as follows, "We rank 6th among world countries in terms of vaccination, we have such a position. Now, we try to plan, with our Scientific Committee's works, how to deliver vaccines to people under 65, and steps for this stage will be taken shortly. Our vaccination figures indicate a favourable level, namely 8 plus 10 million, in other words, 18 million, in fact, 20 million people will be vaccinated soon, and with these figures, I believe we are among the world's leading countries in setting an example."
