Delivering remarks following the Presidential Cabinet Meeting, President Erdoğan said: “We stand for peace, tranquility, stability, reconciliation, and social cohesion in every inch of our region. We know very well that if there is fire, conflict, or war beyond our borders, it is impossible for us to feel safe here. We, as Türkiye, sincerely wish for our neighbor Syria to establish internal peace as soon as possible.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a press conference following the Presidential Cabinet Meeting at the Presidential Complex.
“Our relations with Africa are strengthening in every area”
Recalling Nigerian President Tinubu’s visit to Türkiye last week, President Erdoğan said: “Thank Allah, our relations with Africa, the rising star of the 21st Century, are strengthening in every area. We have increased the number of our embassies across the continent to 44, and our target is 50. Embassies of 38 African countries are operational in Ankara. Turkish contractors have undertaken over 2 thousand projects with a combined value of nearly 100 billion dollars in Africa. Our investments across the continent exceed 15 billion dollars in market value. Our foreign trade volume with the continent grew by 10 percent to surpass 35 billion dollars in 2025. Tens of thousands of students from across the continent receive education at Turkish universities. From politics and business to academia and civil society, the Türkiye graduates assume active duties in every field in many African countries. Just like the entire continent, we will advance our relations with Nigeria as well on the basis of mutual respect, equal partnership and win-win principle.”
“Turkic world holds a unique place in Turkish foreign policy”
Stressing that the Turkic world holds a unique place in Turkish foreign policy, President Erdoğan pointed out: “With its 300 million population, 4.5 million square kilometers surface area and 2 trillion dollars economic volume, the Turkic world represents a very important power and potential. We work to make the most of this huge potential with the projects we implement under the roof of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). We will host the 13th OTS Summit in Türkiye in 2026. The visit by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan on January 29 was of particular importance in this respect. With my brother Shavkat, we co-chaired the fourth meeting of the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council and put our signatures to 10 new agreements. We have tripled our trade with Uzbekistan over the past three years. Inshallah, we will soon achieve 5 billion dollars, our new target. Let me underscore that Uzbekistan was among the first countries to rush to our aid when we were hit by the disaster of the century. Uzbekistan undertook the construction of 308 housing units in a TOKİ project that is comprised of 3.093 houses in the Arsuz district of Hatay. With my brother Shavkat, we held the key delivery ceremony of these houses, as well as the stone-laying ceremony of Uzbekistan’s first-ever overseas school.”
“Any step that contributes to peace and stability in Syria acceptable to us”
President Erdoğan said: “We stand for peace, tranquility, stability, reconciliation, and social cohesion in every inch of our region. We know very well that if there is fire, conflict, or war beyond our borders, it is impossible for us to feel safe here. We, as Türkiye, sincerely wish for our neighbor Syria to establish internal peace as soon as possible. We want to see beside us not a country constantly struggling with instability, but a neighbor where all segments of the Syrian people—regardless of Arabs, Kurds, Turkmens, Nusayris, and Christians—live together in peace, security, and tranquility. The objective of all our efforts is to ensure this takes place first in Syria, then in other conflict areas. Any step that contributes to peace and stability in Syria, and guarantees Syria’s territorial integrity and political unity is reasonable and acceptable to us.”
“Türkiye will resolutely stand against all blood merchants ”
President Erdoğan further stressed: “It is of great importance to us that the problem in the north of Syria be resolved on the basis of ‘one army, one state and one Syria,’ without shedding blood. It is from this perspective that we look at the agreements the Syrian government and the structure called SDF signed on January 18 and January 30. With recent agreements, a new chapter has been opened for the Syrian people. We wish for this new chapter to be filled with peace, development and prosperity, not with conflicts and tensions. Anyone who attempts to sabotage this will be crushed under it. Today or in the future, regardless of the cause, those who pin their hopes on terrorism or resort to terror should know that they will never achieve results. We hope that the agreements will be implemented in a manner befitting their spirit, without resorting to cheap considerations such as foot-dragging or stalling. Türkiye will resolutely stand against all blood merchants who fuel conflicts, invest in tension, and disregard human life.”
