On his return flight to Türkiye after attending the NATO Heads of State and Government Summit in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan evaluated the summit and answered the questions of journalists.
Remarking that they successfully completed their visit to Lithuania on the occasion of the Summit held in Vilnius, President Erdoğan wished that the summit, which took place at a time when the effects of the ongoing war in Ukraine were felt in the region and on a global scale, would be beneficial.
Expressing that Vilnius constituted a crucial platform for showcasing NATO's unity and strengthening alliance solidarity, President Erdoğan emphasised that the Summit reiterated NATO as the primary forum for consultation on defence and security issues.
Noting that renewed defence investments, including the promise of lifting sanctions and restrictions between allies, implied the acceptance of such commitments, President Erdoğan said:
"As a result of our efforts, the decision to appoint a Special Coordinator for Combating Terrorism was announced for the first time in the history of the alliance. Sweden's NATO membership was one of the issues highlighted in the context of the summit. Our principled stance on this issue has been clear from the very beginning. We continued our policy there as well. We discussed the issue in depth at the press conference we held at the end of the summit. The authority to approve Sweden's accession protocols is the Turkish Grand National Assembly. There is a process running now. Our parliament will follow the steps taken and will make the right decision in line with the interests of our country."
Recalling that he held meetings with numerous heads of state and government at the margins of the summit, President Erdoğan stated that they discussed both bilateral issues and cooperation in the context of NATO during the meetings with the leaders.
"There is a positive opinion about the revitalization of our EU membership process. We will accelerate the negotiations for updating the Customs Union, which will have a multiplier effect on the Turkish economy. "I believe that we will make progress in visa liberalization as well," said President Erdoğan, adding that in this context, processes related to projects to strengthen Türkiye's defence capabilities would gain momentum.
President Erdoğan indicated that they left an indelible mark on history and presented their interlocutors with the books titled "Türkiye Model in Humanitarian Aid", "Türkiye's Contributions to NATO", "Türkiye's Fight Against Terrorism", and "Leader-to-Leader Diplomacy," produced by the Presidency's Directorate of Communications, and said, "I wish that our summit and our meetings will be auspicious for our country, our nation, and our security."
"They will ensure that the process is altered in our favour."
In answer to the question, "You had many bilateral meetings on the margins of the NATO Summit. Could you give us detailed information about your meeting with President Joe Biden of the U.S.? Should we expect developments regarding the F-16 procurement and modernisation? What are your expectations regarding Turkish-American relations in the future?" President Erdoğan said, "First of all, Türkiye and the United States are NATO allies, two significant countries with a strategic partnership. Our institutions continue their negotiations as part of the strategic mechanism that we decided to establish with Mr. Biden in 2021. We have brought a new dynamism to the dialogue channels between the mechanism and ourselves."
Highlighting that the meetings within the scope of the summit were highly fruitful, President Erdoğan said:
"The meeting lasted about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Biden and his administration actually adopted an attitude in favour of our country regarding the sale of F-16s. At the moment, both he and Secretary of State said: 'We are on this issue; we are following it.' By meeting with their interlocutors, our Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan and İbrahim Kalın, as well as Yaşar Güler, will hopefully ensure that this process is altered in our favour."
"I think my adviser, Çağatay, will return from there with positive developments."
When asked, "In Türkiye's relations with the European Union, there is a discussion of the possibility of a new process, a new initiative. This was the impression we received from the meetings here, and promises were made. How will the first steps be taken towards the continuation of the negotiations regarding the expected visa facilitation, visa liberalisation, and developments within the framework of the Customs Union at this point? In response to the question, "What kind of agenda do we have in front of us?" President Erdoğan said, "My adviser, Çağatay, went to Brussels. Tomorrow, he will discuss these issues there. He will discuss both the Customs Union and visa liberalisation issues. I believe these will conclude in favour of Türkiye. Today, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen conveyed some positive messages on the issue. I think my adviser, Çağatay, will return from there with positive developments."
Noting that it was appropriate to request the high representative and the commission to prepare a report on relations between Türkiye and the European Union at the Heads of State and Government Summit, President Erdoğan stated that he expects the report to be positive and forward-thinking.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said:
"As Türkiye, we have always kept our promises and still do. As quickly as possible, we want to witness the tangible results of the negotiations conducted in accordance with the win-win principle. Concrete steps on promises made are primarily the termination of activities of terrorist organisations in the said countries and the extradition of terrorists. Following the positive efforts we will see from the European Union, we will begin working to put our promises into practise. Since the issues agreed upon last year have not been implemented, the process has lasted until this day. From now on, we will act according to the fulfilment of the promises made. We have made it clear to our interlocutors that we don't make any compromises on this matter."
"We will realise the Century of Türkiye"
President Erdoğan noted:
As of right now, we will continue making significant investments. Inshallah, we will achieve growth through exports, employment, production, investment, and the current surplus. This is only possible with the current structure. Not in their way of thinking. What happened? The accounting specialist was supposedly highly successful and was producing excellent calculations. However, the calculation was flawed. He distributed the positions of 38 deputies to his alliance partners, with whom he ran elections but received less than 1% of the total votes. He also succumbed to weakness. Now, he is constantly considering whether or not to remain. It remains to be seen whether he will maintain his position in the coming weeks and months. However, this is not our job. Our job is different. We have been here for three days. We are holding our meetings at the NATO Summit, and all the leaders have a very different view of Türkiye. While world leaders view us in this light and NATO has recognised Türkiye's fight against terrorism, our opposition has unfortunately attempted to walk with terrorists. Our prudent nation informed us that walking hand-in-hand with terrorists is not acceptable and that no alliances can be formed. I hope the opposition has learned this lesson. The political parties that collaborated with terrorist groups posed one of the greatest threats to our nation."
President Erdoğan stated that Türkiye has witnessed politicians under the control of terrorist organisations and utilising the road map created by them in the 2023 elections and added: "We have witnessed politicians struggling to keep the promises they made to terrorist organisations. By emphasising the economic problems, they hoped to create space for terrorist organisations. We have drawn the vision of the Century of Türkiye for our country. We continue working without interruption in accordance with this vision."
President Erdoğan stated, "By highlighting our human capital, we will utilise these opportunities for the benefit of our country and the welfare of our citizens," after noting that Türkiye faces significant opportunities. In 21 years, we have established an infrastructure based on solid foundations in every field. Now, with the structure we have built on this infrastructure, we will realise the Century of Türkiye."
When asked if his upcoming trip to the Gulf countries would usher in a new era that would aid Türkiye in its efforts to strengthen its public finances, President Erdoğan responded, "We have high hopes for this visit. I've sent my colleagues beforehand. They have already visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. We will also travel with a delegation. We hope to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates to further develop our already robust ties in all areas. In fact, I received a call from Mohamed bin Zayed today. They are curious. As to how it went. We said, 'We will be with you on Wednesday. We will talk in detail.' We will visit UAE after Qatar. We will tour Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and I have high hopes."
Stating that the members of the cabinet provided certain information during their visits, President Erdoğan said that they will have the opportunity to personally see the support to be provided to Türkiye during their visits. President Erdoğan remarked, "In our previous meetings they said, 'We are ready to make major investments in Türkiye,' We will hopefully finalise this with this visit. These investments maybe made in our country, maybe in Saudi Arabia, maybe in Qatar, maybe in the United Arab Emirates."
"It is essential to prevent immigration from the north of Syria at the source"
When asked about the specifics of the "differentiation" in Minister of Interior Ali Yerlikaya's statement, "After a 4-5 month period, there will be a visible differentiation in the cluster of illegal immigrants in the cities", President Erdoğan said that Türkiye's fight against irregular migration has never been and could never be interrupted.
President Erdoğan noted that numerous steps will be taken regarding this differentiation and stated:
"Either these are security measures or our practises at the border. It is crucial that these immigrants are prevented from entering Türkiye and that those apprehended are taken to shelters for refugees or immigrants. With the steps to be taken, it is essential to limit this further and prevent immigration from the area, particularly from the north of Syria, at the source. We are currently working towards this. As soon as illegal immigrants are caught, they are transferred to Repatriation Centres, where the appropriate measures are taken. They are returned to their home countries, thereby eliminating the anxiety and fear of our people. In a short time, our citizens will perceive visible changes in the issue of irregular migrants as a result of the current efforts. For the safety and peace of our citizens, our security forces increased their measures and activities. However, the work will not be conducted in a manner that violates the dignity of any individual. We will act as required by our civilization and values."
President Erdoğan said that the gendarmerie, police, and other security forces have carried out successful operations against those who organise migrant smuggling, stating that they give no respite to migrant smugglers.
President Erdoğan stated, "Over the past few months, simultaneous operations have been conducted against organised migrant smuggling across the Van-Iran border. In these operations, nearly 300 organisers of migrant smuggling were apprehended, 168 of whom were arrested. We should not confuse irregular migrants with refugees who have sought asylum in our country. We continue our efforts for the dignified, voluntary, and safe return of the refugees to their home countries."