Some Western powers are tempting fate with WWIII rhetoric, says Türkiye’s Erdogan

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Leaders Summit in Astana as the guest of honor, answered the questions of journalists on his return flight.

Drawing attention to the importance of the SCO, President Erdogan said, “Over the years, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has gained a character that emphasizes cooperation in economic and commercial fields.

“Covering a geography of 3.8 billion people, the organization represents a total economic power of $27 trillion among its members. Türkiye is committed to enhancing cooperation with Asian countries through the Asia Anew Initiative. Our participation in the summit was productive in this regard,” he said.

Answering a question about Türkiye’s SCO membership, President Erdogan said, “There are Turkic states in the SCO. The power of these Turkic states here will increase even more. We aim to strengthen ties with Russia and China within SCO, moving from dialogue to full partnership. Iran has finally joined the SCO. Iran recently joined, Pakistan is a member too. With nine permanent members, Türkiye aims to join in time.”

No winners in the Russia-Ukraine war

President Erdogan stated that he discussed Türkiye’s mediation efforts in the Russia-Ukraine war with Russian President Vladimir Putin and underlined that the Grain Corridor should be restarted.

“This war benefits neither Russia nor Ukraine. The only winners are the merchants of blood and death. I hope tensions will decrease and a foundation for peace can be established. We are prepared to contribute to creating and safeguarding that foundation, as we have done thus far.”

Putin’s visit to Türkiye could start normalization with Syria

Answering a question about efforts to restore Türkiye-Syria relations, President Erdogan said, “I mentioned last Friday, after prayers, that we are open to starting a new process with Syria. We are considering extending invitations to Putin and Bashar Assad. A visit by Putin to Türkiye could mark the beginning of this new phase.”

“The years of conflict in Syria have underscored the need for a lasting solution mechanism. It’s crucial for Syria, devastated and destabilized, to rebuild its infrastructure and restore stability,” he said.

Emphasis on cooperation with Syria in fight against terrorism

Pointing out that the activities of the PKK/YPG terrorist group destabilize the entire region, President Erdogan emphasized the importance of Syria’s territorial integrity and said: “The instability in the region allows terrorist organizations, especially the PKK/PYD/YPG, to thrive. Eradicating these terrorist groups through collective efforts is crucial for Syria’s reconstruction. Establishing Syria’s democratic infrastructure and achieving inclusive, dignified peace are paramount, based on Syria’s territorial integrity.”

Referring to the need for Syrians to return to their country, President Erdogan said: “For millions of Syrians scattered across various countries, the return to their homeland requires the winds of peace and a climate of stability prevailing throughout Syria.”

We have consistently extended and will continue to extend our hand of friendship to our neighbor Syria. We stand ready to support a prosperous, united and sovereign Syria, fostering a new social contract that is just, dignified, and inclusive, as Syria progresses and recovers in every aspect.”

Terrorist organization PKK/YPG’s role in Syria

Referring to the simultaneous provocations in Kayseri and Syria, President Erdogan said, “It’s not the countries but organizations like PKK/PYD/YPG and Daesh that are disturbed. They clearly oppose such a meeting and Syria’s resurgence. However, there are many groups in northern Syria, some of which wish to quickly improve their relations with Türkiye.”

After the events in northern Syria began, Abdurrahman Mustafa, the prime minister of the Syrian Interim Government, intervened swiftly, turning negative developments into positive ones. In Türkiye, our security forces quickly responded to the incident in Kayseri, calming the situation and yielding positive results on all fronts.

“Even if such situations arise briefly in our country, we will not allow them to persist. The structures on the Syrian side that oppose terrorist organizations will also prevent such scenarios,” he said.

Racist groups disrupting climate of brotherhood

Stating that racist groups are behind the incidents in Kayseri, President Erdogan said, “Those who aim to disrupt the climate of brotherhood by creating racist movements in Türkiye are trying to fulfill the instructions they receive from dark centers.”

Combating terrorism

Answering the question of whether a counterterrorism operation will be organized in Syria and Iraq, President Erdogan stated that Türkiye has told its interlocutors about its sensitivities on the problem of terrorism and said, “We are making a clear and unequivocal statement: We did not, do not, and will never allow a terrorist state to be established in our region.”

NATO’s violation of alliance law

Emphasizing that although Türkiye is a NATO member, NATO member states support the PKK/YPG terrorist organization in violation of the alliance law, President Erdogan said, “It is regrettable that our allies leave us alone in this struggle, contrary to the spirit of NATO’s unity, and even show an attitude that encourages terrorist organizations.” President Erdogan also stated that they will continue to convey Türkiye’s sensitivities to Mark Rutte, the new secretary general of NATO.

World War III

Referring to the discussions on World War III, President Erdogan said, “Unfortunately, there are countries and groups in the West that are exacerbating this issue. They are taking an approach that paves the way for World War III. As you know, arms dealers need a market, and that market is the West.”

Continuing his speech, President Erdogan said, “Our theses ‘The world is bigger than five’ and ‘A fairer world is possible’, which we have been voicing for years, are concrete solutions we have put forward to disperse this negative atmosphere and eliminate the risk of a big war. It is still possible to implement them.

What we need to do is to revise the global system, ensure that everyone abides by international law without discrimination, eliminate terrorism with a total understanding, and implement a global sharing system based on justice and equity,” he said.

Gaza cease-fire

Referring to Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip, President Erdogan said, “At this stage, pressure from Western countries on Israel is essential. I believe that, as a result of this pressure, a definitive cease-fire will be reached, God willing.”

Stating that U.S. President Joe Biden should call Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a cease-fire, President Erdogan said: “We hope that as a result of U.S. President Biden’s recent call to Israel, a definitive cease-fire will be achieved in the coming days, putting an end to the recent massacres. Regarding Israel’s actions, are they yielding the desired results internally or in the Greek Cypriot part of Cyprus? Since the start of these attacks, Israel aimed for results within a week or 15 days, but they haven’t achieved them. Any steps that could further escalate tensions in the region should be avoided.”

Normalization with main opposition

Touching on domestic political issues, President Erdogan stated that they were sincere about normalization with the CHP. Referring to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) visit in this context, President Erdogan said, “We sincerely aimed to foster a more conciliatory political atmosphere and meet our nation’s expectations on this matter. We approached it sincerely and extended an invitation to visit the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus together. Following our proposal, they announced they would travel using their own aircraft.”

Current account deficit no longer a problem

Making statements on the economy, President Erdogan said the following:

We had foreseen a period of time for the transition to disinflation last year. Because last year we were really facing extraordinary conditions due to the earthquake. It takes time for monetary policy to be effective. Additional effort was needed in fiscal policy. That is why we said disinflation would start after May 2024. As a matter of fact, inflation started to decline on an annual basis in June, but in July, I say 60s, but it is not possible to predict. It will probably be in the low 60s. In August, it will be in the low 50s again. And most probably, when September inflation is announced, it may be one tick below 50. This is the policy framework we envisage. Last year we had a very serious current account deficit problem. This year, the current account deficit is no longer a problem.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

No one talks about eagle on German shirt or rooster on French shirt

Referring to the investigation opened against Merih Demiral, who made the “bozkurt” (gray wolf) sign at the Euro 2024 round of 16 match, President Erdogan said, “Does anyone say that the Germans have eagles on their jerseys? Does anyone say that the French have a rooster on their jerseys? There Merih showed his excitement with this image. Upon this, our Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned their officials and the necessary steps are being taken accordingly.”

President Erdogan said he would go to the Netherlands match to be played at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin unless there is an extraordinary situation and wished the national team success.