President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made a speech at the Fifth Summit of the European Political Community

 

Addressing the Fifth Summit of the European Political Community, President Erdoğan said: “There is no reasonable justification for blocking for years the accession of a member country like Türkiye, which significantly contributes to the prosperity and security of the continent. In the current geopolitical conjecture, it is evident that strengthening our membership perspective would be in the interest of both Europe and our neighboring region.”

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made a speech at the Fifth Summit of the European Political Community.

“NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES OF THE WAR IN UKRAINE ARE DEEPENING DAY BY DAY”

“An important proportion of the threats targeting our peace, stability and prosperity has reached such dimensions that we cannot overcome them on our own,” President Erdoğan stated. “We see the European Political Community as a platform where we address the common threats against our continent in a sincere atmosphere. With its close cultural bonds with the neighboring regions, as well as with its powerful military, deep-rooted state experience, principled foreign policy and highly skilled population, Türkiye will continue to act as an island of stability. The war in the European continent is unfortunately about to finish its third year. The negative impacts of the war in Ukraine are deepening day by day. The prolongation of the war is leaving less and less room for diplomacy. Since the very beginning, we have advocated for a negotiation process in which both of the sides are present at the table and which leads to a lasting and just peace.” 

“THE GENOCIDE GOING ON FOR A YEAR IN GAZA IS A SHARED DISGRACE FOR HUMANITY”

Noting that he conveyed Türkiye’s messages to the effect that space should be opened for diplomacy and that Türkiye stands ready to do anything in its power for the establishment of peace in separate meetings with his Russian counterpart and the Ukrainian foreign minister in recent weeks, President Erdoğan further stressed: “The genocide going on for a year in Gaza is a shared disgrace for humanity. Added to this are the immoral and unlawful attacks recently targeting the West Bank and Lebanon. Considering that nearly 50 thousand people have already lost their lives, any conscientious human being sees and acknowledges the fact that all aspects of pressure must be exerted on Israel for the immediate declaration of a ceasefire and the uninterrupted and adequate supply of humanitarian aid to the region. Those who unconditionally support Israel’s aggression should know that they have become partners in the crimes committed.”

“I CALL ON ALL COUNTRIES TO RECOGNIZE THE STATE OF PALESTINE”

Drawing attention to the initiative launched at the United Nations for the cessation of the transfer of weaponry and ammunition to Israel, President Erdoğan also highlighted the importance of the recognition of Palestine as a state, and continued: “We appreciate the steps taken in this direction by Ireland, Norway, Spain and Slovenia. I congratulate them on behalf of my nation. I believe their decision of recognition will set a precedent for other European countries seeking peace in the region. I call on all the countries that have not done so to recognize the state of Palestine and thus contribute to global peace and justice.”

“WE WANT TO SEE CONCRETE COOPERATION FROM OUR EUROPEAN PARTNERS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST PKK”

Stressing that combatting terrorism in cooperation and solidarity without making any distinction among terrorist organizations is the common responsibility of all, President Erdoğan said: “We want to see concrete cooperation from our European partners in the fight against the PKK terrorist organization. We expect European countries where FETO has an active presence to meet our requests for judicial and administrative cooperation. Even though DAESH has lost territorial control in Syria and Iraq also with the significant contributions of our country, it remains a threat to global security. We attach importance to diligently monitoring the movement of foreign terrorist fighters in the Western Africa and Central Asia, towards where DAESH’s focus has started to shift, and to cooperating on this topic.”

Describing Türkiye as one of the top countries to contribute to the peace, prosperity and stability of the Euro-Atlantic region, President Erdoğan said: “As one of the leading NATO allies, we maintain our consultations and cooperation with our partners across a vast geography extending from Asia-Pacific to the Northern Africa.”

“TÜRKİYE STANDS READY FOR DIALOGUE AND COOPERATION TO ADVANCE OUR RELATIONS ON A SOLID FOUNDATION”

“Türkiye’s full inclusion in EU’s defense efforts is a must for Europe’s peace and security,” underscored President Erdoğan. “We expect the way to be cleared without delay for our participation in projects at the European Defence Agency and the Permanent Structured Cooperation. Türkiye’s support is imperative to find solutions to large-scale issues that affect Europe and beyond. Hatred, Islamophobia and racism undermine the social cohesion and stability in Europe. The increasing marginalization against migrants, particularly against Muslims, is emerging as a new face of racism.”

Describing a fair enlargement policy as the EU’s most important geopolitical tool, President Erdoğan further stressed: “There is no reasonable justification for blocking for years the accession of a member country like Türkiye, which significantly contributes to the prosperity and security of the continent. In the current geopolitical conjecture, it is evident that strengthening our membership perspective would be in the interest of both Europe and our neighboring region. Türkiye stands ready for dialogue and cooperation to advance our relations on a solid foundation.”