Türkiye serves as NATO’s backbone, says President Erdogan

Before departing for the United States, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed reporters at Esenboga Airport, emphasizing the global threat of terrorism ahead of a NATO summit.

“We will highlight the growing global threat of terrorism at the summit,” he stated during the press conference.

“The NATO Summit coincides with the 45th anniversary of the alliance. Our expectation from the summit is to achieve results that strengthen the spirit of unity. NATO should not become a party to the war in Ukraine … Every day that weapons are spoken shows how accurately we have positioned ourselves. We have been committed to paving the way for lasting peace in Gaza from the very beginning,” he added.

Türkiye is backbone of NATO

“We will bring attention to the escalating global threat of terrorism at the summit. Türkiye, as a backbone of NATO, ranks among the top five allies contributing significantly to NATO’s missions and operations,” Erdogan stated.

“For us, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) holds the status of a full member of the Turkish state. We are committed to advancing the TRNC towards full integration within the Turkish nation,” Erdogan affirmed.

“We have not been able to achieve what we wanted with NATO regarding the Israel-Palestine issue. My hope is that we will achieve the results we expect during our visits to the U.S.”