President Erdoğan: We will not let anyone or any power prevent Turkey from taking its rightful place in the world

 

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a press conference following the Presidential Cabinet meeting.

Noting that the importance of the investments made in every corner of the country has been better understood during the pandemic, President Erdoğan said: “We have smoothly managed the crisis thanks to the high-capacity medical facilities – city hospitals in particular – which we have put into service. In addition to closely following the studies for vaccine development across the world, we are also making rapid progress to develop our own vaccine. Animal experiments have successfully been finalized in two of the eight vaccine development studies that are currently ongoing. The infrastructure of a private company is also being rendered suitable for vaccine development. We are planning to put these vaccines in the service of our people early next year. As is the case with any topic related to the pandemic, we are closely following this process as well. Keep in mind that this crisis can be overcome only if both the state and the citizens fulfill their responsibilities.”

Pointing to what he called a new phase through which Turkey is going together with the entire world due to the COVID-19 pandemic, President Erdoğan underscored that Turkey is developing new strategies in the face of this problem, which, besides being a healthcare crisis, has also dimensions that will cause political, economic and social outcomes at a global scale.

“WE FOIL ONE BY ONE THE INSIDIOUS TRAPS SET AGAINST OUR ECONOMY”

Underlining that no concession is made on making Turkey a regional and global power under the guidance of its goals for 2023, President Erdoğan added: “On one hand, we carry out the necessary scientific works to curb the pandemic, and foil one by one the insidious traps set against our economy on the other. On one hand, we support all sectors that have adversely been affected by the pandemic measures, and uninterruptedly put into service our big investments on the other. And what is more, we are getting concrete results from these efforts of ours. For instance, the natural gas reserves we have discovered in the Black Sea have given hope to our nation in terms of its economic magnitude and morale-boosting aspect. We will inshallah increase our people’s joy with new reserves we shall discover in the ongoing works in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. In the meantime, those who ignore Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean and insistently seek to impose their own theses and maps have started to come closer to the diplomacy table. We also maintain the operations we carry out to make our southern borders secure.”

President Erdoğan stated: “We will not let anyone or any power prevent Turkey from taking its rightful place in the world which will be restructured politically and economically following the pandemic. We will do what is necessary in order for our country to not fall once again into the dark scenarios, unscrupulous games and insidious traps that we have suffered during the Republic era. We will not give any puppet, from terrorist organizations to political and social hitmen, the chance they seek to implement this plot.”

“THE UN HAS BARELY SHOWN ANY PRESENCE IN TERMS OF TAKING NECESSARY MEASURES TO FIGHT THE PANDEMIC”

Also drawing attention to the United Nations 75th General Assembly which will begin on September 22, 2020, President Erdoğan, underscoring that the pandemic will be on top of the agenda of the General Assembly, and noted: “The fact that the current structure created within the global balances that occurred following World War I and World War II can no longer be maintained reveals itself once again in every incident that occurs. Even those who remained distant or opposed to when we first made this assessment have admitted our rightness at this stage. The UN, which failed in the humanitarian crises from Syria to Yemen, and in the developments occurred in such fragile places as Africa and South America, has once again failed during the pandemic process. The UN, which recognized even the presence of a pandemic only after weeks, has barely shown any presence in terms of taking necessary measures to fight the pandemic or meeting the needs.” 

“WE HAVE PROVIDED MEDICAL EQUIPMENT SUPPORT TO 146 COUNTRIES”

Noting that Turkey has provided medical equipment support to 146 countries during the pandemic, President Erdoğan stated: “The fact that the UN has been this ineffective has reaffirmed our conclusion. We haven’t expected any political or diplomatic benefit in return for the assistance and support we have provided. Turkey is engaged in such activities in every area in accordance with our civilization’s advice to help the downtrodden.”

President Erdoğan said: “We hereby once again state that the countries, which have laid bare their hypocritical, unprincipled and self-seeking character in Syria, Libya and Yemen as well as in many other ongoing humanitarian crises, cannot distribute justice to the world. The failure to take any substantial step to stop Armenia’s attacks on Azerbaijani lands is yet another example in this regard. In the face of promises that were given to us but have yet to be honored, we are working to implement the courses of action that are stipulated by our agreements.”

“THOSE WHO TURN THEIR BACKS ON FACTS WILL HAVE NOTHING TO SAY TO THE WORLD”

“Those who turn their backs on historical facts, international conventions, customs, and apparent truths for the sake of protecting the interests of a few countries on the Cyprus and Eastern Mediterranean issue, will have nothing to say to the world,” President Erdoğan said. “Those who attempt to upset the balance of the region and the world just because of their hostility to Turkey are digging their own grave. The actions of those, who let out a yell due to fantasies of power which no longer have any actual validity and are contrary to their own political and social facts, are the same as the psychology of those who whistle past the graveyard. Turkey has paid the price for all its words and actions. Our nation is aware, as was the case previously, of the potential consequences of the struggles it will put up and developing their resilience accordingly.”

“The great plane tree, which has lived on these lands for a thousand years by constantly renewing and rejuvenating itself, by deepening and expanding its roots, has reawakened and mobilized,” President Erdoğan underscored.

“Those who defy us are like trees rotten from the inside, like logs which have nothing left but its bark and bear the risk of collapsing during the first storm,” President Erdoğan noted. “Let me underline once again that we do not encroach on anyone’s rights or honor in Cyprus, the Mediterranean, the Aegean or in any of the contested areas. We only want our rights and achievements to be respected. We urge the peoples of these countries to learn the truth and adopt a stance accordingly. We do not want a bunch of overambitious people, who feed off of tension and animosity, to drag their country to devastation for the sake of political and economic gain.”

Stating that Turkey has placed life at the center of its worldview, President Erdoğan said: “Today as is always the case, we want peace, stability and prosperity for all. An imposition that ‘we shall have it all and you accept what we give you’ on a country of 83 million people and 780 thousand-square-kilometer land is neither realistic nor possible.”

“THERE IS NO PROBLEM THAT CANNOT BE RESOLVED THROUGH DIALOGUE AND NEGOTIATIONS”

“Turkey believes there is no problem that cannot be resolved through dialogue and negotiations,” President Erdoğan underlined. “However, this approach applies on condition that we are appealed to with fair and just proposals. Otherwise, we will never refrain from any fight come hell or high water. Our recent struggle, let alone our 2000-year-old state tradition and our 1000-year-long presence in our region, is enough to prove that what we are saying is not empty rhetoric.”