President Erdoğan: "If we meet with Bennett after Ramadan and take steps immediately, the cooperation between Israel and Türkiye will accelerate the Eastern Mediterranean oil and natural gas process."
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan answered journalists' questions regarding the agenda on his return from his two-day official visit to Uzbekistan and said, "I am determined about holding talks with Mr Putin and Mr Zelensky. We'll tell them both, 'Now, our goal is to bring you together as soon as possible.'"
Stating that they successfully completed the visit, President Erdoğan said that they were pleased to visit their ancestral homeland once again after four years and fulfil their longing with the Uzbeks.
Noting that they had fruitful meetings with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, President Erdoğan stated that he and Mirziyoyev also chaired the second meeting of the Türkiye-Uzbekistan High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council and that they have now promoted Türkiye-Uzbekistan relations to the level of "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership".
Pointing out that Türkiye was the first country to recognise Uzbekistan and open the first embassy and consulate general there, President Erdoğan said: "Now, we have added a new ring to the chain of firsts with the 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership'. We discussed joint steps that can be taken to further develop our relations in all areas. I am pleased to see that the will on this issue is mutual."
Stating that they also exchanged views on regional and international issues during their meetings, President Erdoğan said, "At this point, I underlined our support for the peace, tranquillity and stability of friendly and brotherly Uzbekistan. We have reached a consensus on increasing the communication and coordination between our international organisations, particularly the Organisation of Turkic States. Hopefully, we will hand over the term presidency of the Organisation of Turkic States, which is currently being held by our country, to Uzbekistan in November."
Noting that ten agreements, memorandums of understanding and protocols were signed in various fields on the occasion of the visit, President Erdoğan added:
"The Preferential Trade Agreement will have a multiplier effect in our bilateral trade and will be instrumental in the establishment of new co-operations. We have demonstrated our resolve and will to increase our trade from its current level of 3.6 billion dollars to 5 billion dollars first, and subsequently to 10 billion dollars, with the agreement's contribution. With the Military Framework Agreement, we paved the way for steps to improve our cooperation in the field of defence and security. With the instruments signed in areas to which we attach importance, such as health, transportation, construction, justice and employment, the contractual basis of our relations with Uzbekistan has been strengthened. At the conclusion of the Council meeting, we established our roadmap for the next period with the Joint Declaration signed with Mr Mirziyoyev.
Last year, we had the pleasure of hosting 270 thousand Uzbek brothers and sisters in our country. We hope that the number of mutual tourists will increase this year with the easing of the pandemic, and we have set a target of 500 thousand. We are also pleased with the increased investment in Uzbekistan by Turkish businesspeople. In terms of the number of businesses established in the previous year, our entrepreneurs rank first in Uzbekistan."
Noting that they also visited the historical city of Khiva, the Cultural Capital of the Turkic World in 2020, and made observations, President Erdoğan said:
"Erkin Samandar, one of the prominent poets of Uzbekistan, describes this beautiful city as: 'Khiva is the city of these domes, minarets and embroideries. It is the city of the books on the shelves, of humanity.' When we saw Khiva and wandered through the streets of Khiva, where every corner was rich with history, we understood much better how true and accurate these lines of the poet were. It is such a rich city that it has 130 madrasas within the city walls. This year, we are moving the title of Cultural Capital of the Turkic World to our Bursa, another stop on the Silk Road, like Khiva. Thus, we promote the integration and greater recognition of our ancient civilisation's landmark cities. 'We may take a step on the issue of package tourism between Khiva and Bursa.' we said during our conversation."
Reiterating his belief that the visit, which coincided with a critical period, will contribute to peace, stability and cooperation in the region as well as relations with Uzbekistan, President Erdoğan said: "I wish the meetings and agreements we have signed to be auspicious. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all my Uzbek brothers and sisters in the person of Mr Mirziyoyev for the sincere hospitality shown to me, my wife and my delegation. I would like to thank our Ministers who accompanied me on our visit, as well as all my fellow members of parliament and delegation members, for their contribution.”
“I believe that the meetings lent a considerable boost to the peace process”
Upon being asked, “I would like to ask about the partial ceasefire decision reached at the meeting of Russia’s and Ukraine’s negotiating delegations in Dolmabahçe. The trust that Türkiye instilled in both parties, as well as your position in leader-to-leader diplomacy, allowed for quick results. Following this stage, the most intriguing topic is whether the two leaders, Putin and Zelensky, would meet in Türkiye. Are you going to invite them again?” President Erdoğan replied, “I believe that the meetings between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul lent a considerable boost to the peace process.”
President Erdoğan emphasised the critical nature of Russia’s decision to considerably downsize military operations in Kyiv and Chernihiv and added:
“Similarly, the heads of state’s declarations that they can come together once an agreement is reached demonstrates how critical this step is. We expect them to be implemented and the war to be brought to an end before further casualties and destruction emerge. Naturally, we were pleased to host such an important meeting thanks to our active diplomacy and balanced approach. I am determined about holding talks with both Mr Putin and Mr Zelensky right after my return. I will convey my gratitude to both of them on behalf of myself and my nation during these talks and state, ‘Now, our goal is to bring you together as soon as possible.’ I’m hoping we can elicit a specific date for their meeting from them. In this regard, we are prepared to host the meeting at the heads of state level. In the meantime, having achieved a temporary ceasefire is also crucial.”
“Ukraine is not overly insistent on the NATO membership”
When reminded of Ukraine’s statement, “We may abandon our pursuit of NATO membership, but we will never abandon our pursuit of European Union membership”, and asked, “When we delved deeper, we learned that Russia took a favourable attitude toward this scenario. A fresh security assurance was also requested in this regard by the Ukrainian delegation. Naturally, a meeting at which the US, China, Poland, as well as Canada, the UK, and Türkiye are the guarantor states... There is an idea that a system similar to that outlined in NATO’s fifth article might function. How would you evaluate this situation?” President Erdoğan said that Ukraine was not overly insistent on NATO membership, adding:
“Indeed, I believe that Ukraine will not be overly insistent on the European Union membership, either. Because, with the exception of a few, the European Union’s member states lacked a meaningful commitment to this effort during this process. Despite this, I have heard Mr Putin’s favourable attitude toward Ukraine’s EU accession. Surely, we will learn about the recent situation during these meetings. Hearing this directly from Mr Putin during my talk with him will enable us to more precisely analyse the steps that need to be taken in this regard. You are all aware of the European Union’s treatment of us since 1963. It stalled us and continues to do so. We may be one of the guarantor countries in terms of ensuring Ukraine’s security; we lean toward this in principle, but the details need to be clarified.”
“This reality cannot be ignored”
Upon the question, “According to some, one can now speak of two distinct worlds before and after Ukraine, and that we are on the verge of establishing a new world order. How would you evaluate this situation; do you agree with this statement?” President Erdoğan responded:
“Naturally, the war between Russia and Ukraine was a process that the world had not witnessed or experienced in recent memory. Today, Russia is a power and force, ranking among the top three countries in terms of area, population, military, political, economic, and cultural strength. This reality cannot be ignored. Ukraine is not a typical country, either. Ukraine has a population of roughly 45 million people now and is not a small country in terms of area. Currently, the world, particularly the West, has backed and sided with Ukraine. Such a structure exists. On this basis, several judgments were made. And there is also this; there were those who said: 'This war will end in a week or ten days.' As you can see, this war did not end in a week or ten days. It is not over, but there were many casualties regardless of whether it was over or not. There were significant casualties, particularly children and women. These cannot be ignored. Even the strong Russia has had significant losses in this picture. It is necessary to evaluate this thoroughly in terms of the winner and loser of the war. In this regard, I believe that peace is the most important solution and way out. Inshallah, from this point of view, it will please us if we can be instrumental in bringing an end to this matter. As Türkiye, we will be pleased to have finished with this matter with both Mr Putin and Mr Zelensky's confidence in us during such time."
"Türkiye's policy is appreciated by all parties"
After one reporter said, "In fact, as a result of Türkiye's significant role, it is observed that there is an awareness about Türkiye in the European Union's and the US' attitudes and outlooks. Türkiye, after all, is the organiser at the table; now, it is setting the table. Indeed, it can be observed that the European Union and the US view it differently." President Erdoğan pointed out that Türkiye's pro-peace, principled, and balanced policy on the Ukraine crisis was appreciated by all parties.
Expressing that he saw the positive approaches of NATO member countries to Türkiye during all his meetings at the NATO Extraordinary Leaders' Summit, President Erdoğan said: "Numerous leaders brought up the importance of Türkiye's responsibility and these bilateral dialogues. Particularly after the meeting in Istanbul, the result of the meeting shifted many European Union member states and NATO member states' perspectives towards Türkiye. I am referring to the entire western world with this; now, inshallah, Türkiye's position in the eyes of all leaders will be markedly different. We can also observe this with the feedback we receive."
"We are committed to continuing our dialogue"
In response to the question, "Europe imposes sanctions on oligarchs, and nowadays, because Türkiye does not impose any sanctions, it is expressed that Russian capital might migrate from Europe to Türkiye, effectively imposing the implementation of sanctions. I'm curious about your opinion on this. And one of the oligarchs, despite being labelled as a bit of a bad guy in Europe, was at the table in Dolmabahçe the day before; in the photographs, Roman Abramovich was seen speaking to you. How do you evaluate his participation in these meetings?" President Erdoğan reiterated that they would not participate in the sanctions against Russia and that they had previously explained the reasons for this many times.
Stating that they are committed to continuing the dialogue while reacting to Russia's military activities, President Erdoğan stated, "This dialogue is critical and necessary not only in the context of Ukraine, but also in a number of closely connected geographies such as Syria, Libya, and the South Caucasus. On the other hand, Abramovich participated in the negotiations as a member of the Russian delegation. More than who comes to the table, it is important to heed on behalf of whom they come. If Russia and Mr Putin chose to include Abramovich in their delegation, it means that he believed in and trusted him. I greeted him as well as everyone else at that meeting. I wish success to all the members of the delegations participating in this meeting. I hope that we will see the results of these efforts as soon as possible."
Answering the question, "Is it correct to believe there has been no change in Türkiye's stance regarding sanctions?" President Erdoğan said, "So far, we have not changed our stance regarding sanctions, and Russia has taken no action against Türkiye as part of this chain of sanctions."
"I am extremely hopeful about this"
One reporter expressed that one of the most important agenda topics in the world and Türkiye was energy and asked, "Recently, Iraq and Israel have come under the spotlight with some projects related to natural gas. Türkiye is also widely regarded as the leading player in Europe's energy security. In this context, can we say that the way for Türkiye's energy diplomacy is open? Additionally, you made a statement upon your return from Brussels, saying, 'Several new areas of energy will become available to us, and when you hear about them, you will wonder, 'Where did this come from?', Can you give any details on that?" President Erdoğan, in response, said:
"As you know, Mr Herzog paid a visit to Türkiye. We covered several subjects in depth during his visit, most notably the energy issue. In the past, Israel-Türkiye had relations, contacts on energy as well. It was almost concluded back then when Netanyahu was in office; however, everything suddenly turned upside down because Israel's opinion of energy export was unfavourable in light of the costs involved. As you see, constructing pipelines beneath the sea from Israel to Greece, transporting it from here to there, and then to Europe, is clearly not possible. Cost calculations indicate that the best way for this job is to transport natural gas through Türkiye. Of course, they have been already discussing it among themselves. As a result, they also have stated that the most appropriate way for this job is through Türkiye. During my meeting with Mr Herzog, I stated that I would immediately send our Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Energy and Natural Resources to Israel. If you discuss the energy issue in-depth with our Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, as well as the evaluations regarding the region with our Minister of Foreign Affairs, we are prepared for anything. As long as you sincerely say, 'All right, we're going to take this step.' 'With pleasure,' Mr Herzog said, implying that he is prepared to do so. 'I will inform Mr Prime Minister of the same. It would be appropriate if you discussed this matter with Mr Prime Minister on his visit to Türkiye,' he continued. 'With pleasure,' I said. They must have already begun working on this issue. If we meet with Bennett after Ramadan and take steps immediately, the cooperation between Israel and Türkiye will accelerate the Eastern Mediterranean oil and natural gas process. I am extremely hopeful about this.
On the other hand, as you are aware, each year during Ramadan, we experience sorrow and distress over Masjid al-Aqsa. I conveyed this to Mr President as well. I told him, 'Every year, there is an issue. During this year's Eid al-Fitr, Muslims should be able to visit the Masjid al-Aqsa in peace. Provide the necessary support in this respect so that we do not have any issues during this Ramadan. Thus, we can have a peaceful Ramadan.'"
As an answer to a question, "Previously, you stated, 'Several new areas of energy will become available to us, and when you hear about them, you will wonder, 'Where did this come from?' Can you give any details on that?", President Erdoğan said, "Exactly as I said. Can it be put any better than that?"
When asked about the tension between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Karabakh, President Erdoğan stated that Azerbaijan completely adhered to the Tripartite Declaration's provisions and committed no violations.
President Erdoğan stressed that this was a defensive response since there was an attack on Azerbaijan, stating, "The overall concern is to ensure that Armenian armed elements are completely removed from internationally recognised Azerbaijani territory, in accordance with the Tripartite Declaration's provisions."
