Addressing the nation following the Presidential Cabinet meeting, President Erdoğan referred to Ankara’s response to attempts that disregard Turkey’s rights in the Aegean and Mediterranean as one of the top agenda items of the cabinet meeting, and said: “We will definitely not consent to the attempts which ignore such a giant land of 780 thousand square meters as Turkey and seek to confine us to our coasts over the islands of just a few square meters. No country in the world would succumb to such a ridiculous and baseless request.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addressed the nation following the meeting of the Presidential Cabinet.
Touching upon the explosion in Lebanon, President Erdoğan extended his condolences and get-well wishes to the Lebanese people, and said that Turkey has mobilized all its means to stand with the Lebanese people.
“Those who rely on the powers that are already beset by the pandemic are doomed to disappointment''
Noting that one of the top agenda items of the cabinet meeting was Ankara’s response to attempts that disregard Turkey’s rights in the Aegean and Mediterranean, President Erdoğan said: “As is known, we had suspended for a while our seismic exploration activities in the region upon the request of Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany as a goodwill gesture. However, the Greek side has once again shown that they do not act with goodwill and resorted to an agreement, which lacks legal ground, with Egypt. Let me reiterate that Turkey doesn’t have an eye on anyone’s rights, soil, sea or legitimate interests. And our sole expectation is to be treated with the same understanding. We will definitely not consent to the attempts which ignore such a giant land of 780 thousand square kilometers as Turkey and seek to confine us to our coasts over the islands of just a few square kilometers. No country in the world would succumb to such a ridiculous and baseless request.”
“Let us as all the countries in the Mediterranean come together and find a formula which would protect everyone’s rights and be acceptable to all,” the President stressed, and added that those who turn a deaf ear to this call of Turkey are darkening their own future by their own hands through some attempts which are beyond their depth and which they cannot handle.
President Erdoğan stated: “Those who rely on the powers that are already beset by the pandemic as well as by the political, economic and social problems related to it are doomed to disappointment. We invite those, still not able to grasp Turkey’s determination on this issue, to see the facts and seek the resolution at the table. We always stand ready for the resolution of disagreements through dialogue and on the basis of fairness. Until common sense prevails on this issue, Turkey will continue to implement its own plans both on the ground and in diplomacy.”
Underscoring that Oruç Reis seismic exploration vessel weighed anchor from off the coast of Antalya at around 8 p.m. yesterday to its place of duty, President Erdoğan said: “After nearly a 10-hour cruise, it has started its activities as of 8 a.m. this morning. As is the case in economy, we will continue to defend our country’s independence in energy as well.”
“We have implemented many new policies for the construction of a strong and robust economy”
Pointing out that those annoyed by Turkey’s rising star as a regional and global power have targeted Turkey with more insidious and treacherous schemes, President Erdoğan underlined that Turkey, however, has managed to thwart all attempts made by means of terrorist organizations, financial lobbies or historical calculations.
Underlining Turkey’s desire to provide for an environment that allows investors to easily come to and invest in the country, President Erdoğan noted that Turkey, unlike many developed and developing countries, has displayed such a big growth rate as 4.5 percent in the first quarter of the year, which is the highest among the G-20 countries and the second among the OECD members.
Pointing to the economic recession experienced by the EU countries and the U.S., President Erdoğan noted that economic recovery will probably take some time despite all the supportive policies, and added: “The Turkish economy, for sure, has also been negatively affected by the pandemic in the short time. However, we have quickly achieved economy recovery thanks to the measures we have taken, our experience in dealing with shocks, our strong healthcare infrastructure and the steps aimed at increasing our economy’s resilience.”
Turkey will continue on its path with its export-oriented structure which is more integrated to the global value chain and produces more added-value, the President underlined. Further stressing that Turkey, with its geographical location, logistic networks, production capacity, human assets, knowledge and capabilities, will write new success stories in the new world order of the post-pandemic era, President Erdoğan added: “We have implemented many new policies for the construction of a strong and robust economy despite the highly difficult conditions. At a time when a deep recession is foreseen for global economy, we are determined to ensure that our country benefits from the new opportunities thanks to the steps and measures we take.”