President Erdoğan: We work to fulfil our responsibilities regarding regional and global issues

 

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered a speech at the TRT World Forum 2022.

Extending his welcome to the participants of the Forum from 34 different countries as well as from inside Türkiye, President Erdoğan said it is pleasing that this year’s forum is being held face-to-face after having taken place online for two years due to the pandemic.

The Forum, the sixth of which is occurring now, has turned into an important platform for humanitarian, social and diplomatic interaction on a global scale, said the President. “Every year through this platform, many experts get the opportunity to share their treasured views on economy, politics, security, technology and international relations with participants. The exchanges of views conducted under themes that correctly reflect the globe’s pulse contribute to the solution of the issues faced by humanity.”

“TRT WORLD FORUM RAISES THE BAR HIGHER AND HIGHER EVERY PASSING YEAR”

Discussions held at the Forum are truly inspiring not only for communications industry professionals but also for politicians that have the responsibility to govern the state, said the President. “I believe that the TRT World Forum, which generates significant gains for our country and region as well as the whole world, raises the bar higher and higher every passing year. I would like to thank in advance all the people of science, media and politics that come from abroad or within the country and enrich the Forum with their expertise.”

President Erdoğan said: “With both its publications and productions as well as its platforms such as this, TRT is our national broadcasting institution, which leaves lasting marks on the communications community. TRT, which makes visible those who are ignored with the projects it implements in line with its ‘human first’ principle, successfully carries out its mission of becoming the strong voice of the voiceless masses.”

“OUR GOAL IS TO BECOME THE VOICE OF THE TRUTH”

“TRT also offers an alternative to the sovereign media order with its goals of challenging the stereotypes, conveying true information to the world and breaking the monopoly of certain groups in international broadcasting. This journey, which started with TRT World and TRT Arabic, continued in a stronger manner with the addition in 2020 of digital channels broadcasting in German and Russian. Expanding its international broadcasting scope with digital channels in French and Balkan languages, TRT will continue its growth in digital platforms in Spanish and Persian in 2023. Our goal is to become the voice of the good, truth and righteousness. Thank Allah, we have covered a significant distance in broadcasting, just like many other areas. In particular, TRT’s features focused on defending, preserving and glorifying humanitarian values attract increasingly bigger interest both at home and abroad. TRT’s productions are the programs that are demanded the most and followed with interest by television audiences,” stated President Erdoğan.  

Türkiye has risen to the second place globally in the export of serials, the President noted. “Reaching a total of 600 million audiences in 150 countries, Turkish serials play an important role in promoting Türkiye appropriately. This development positively affects our tourism figures as well. I believe that an important part of 50 million foreign guests that visit our country annually is composed of people attracted by Turkish serials. During our overseas visits, we come across with youths, student brothers and sisters, and government officials who address us with Turkish words even though they have neither been to our country nor studied Turkish. During our every foreign visit, we, once again, take pride in witnessing ‘the fact that Türkiye is bigger than Türkiye’.”

“I congratulate all of our institutions, companies, actors and actresses, and producers that create successful projects which represent our nation’s values, first and foremost TRT. Together with you, we will inshallah build the broadcasting leg of the Century of Türkiye and make Türkiye an increasingly stronger global brand.”

“ALL MUST SHARE THE BURDEN FOR THE WELFARE OF HUMANITY’S COMMON FUTURE”

Recalling that this year’s Forum takes place amid heightened global tension due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, President Erdoğan said: “If we take a look, we see that 60% of global crises and instabilities occur in Türkiye’s near environ. In this respect, I find it appropriate for the theme of the Forum to have been determined as ‘Mapping the Future: Uncertainties, Realities & Opportunities’. I hope the discussions to be held under this theme for the next two days may yield analyses that help address uncertainties.”

“I, as the President of Türkiye, would like to underline the following point,” said President Erdoğan, “No one can any longer afford to turn a blind eye to the problems in any part of the world, withhold their support or postpone their contributions to the solution. All must share the burden for the welfare of humanity’s common future. In this spirit, we work sincerely to fulfil our responsibilities regarding regional and global issues.”

“While providing our citizens the best services during the Covid-19 process, we also lent a strong support to the global fight against the pandemic. We shared every critical material such as mask, medical equipment and vaccines with our friends and the whole humanity. However, the picture that emerged during the pandemic was no way promising for humanity. The tragedies that occurred in that period should be seen as an opportunity for the solution of the problems in global health architecture.”

“WE HAVE CONDUCTED THE SORT OF PEACE DIPLOMACY THAT SETS AN EXAMPLE TO THE WHOLE WORLD”

President Erdoğan stated: “The Russia-Ukraine war inflicted major humanitarian, economic and political costs on the region and the world besides tremendous loss of life. In line with the principle that ‘a war has no winners and peace no losers,’ we have been engaged in intense diplomacy since the very beginning of the crisis. While defending Ukraine’s territorial integrity strongly, we also opposed adding fuel to the fire in the region through illogical policies. Through my talks with the Russian and Ukrainian leaders as well as through the contacts held by our relevant institutions, we have conducted the sort of peace diplomacy that sets an example to the whole world. The Istanbul process continues to be the best avenue for negotiations even though it seems to be interrupted by the developments on the ground. The prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine was also brokered by our country. The cessation of the shipment of critical produces, particularly grains, from Ukraine and Russia because of the war prompted a food crisis on a global scale that affected all the countries from Europe to Africa.”

TALKS WITH PRESIDENT PUTIN AND PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY

Noting that he will have talks with Russian and Ukrainian Presidents on Sunday in a bid to solve this crisis, Resident Erdoğan stated that the talks will be aimed at strengthening the grain corridor and, as stated by Putin, ensuring that primarily underdeveloped countries benefit from the shipment of grain.

It is yet again thanks to our country’s efforts that the obstruction in the grain corridor is overcome and then the deal is extended, President Erdoğan added.

“It was again in Istanbul that experts from Rosatom and the International Atomic Energy Agency came together and discussed the concerns over the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Türkiye will also continue to play a leading role in overcoming the energy crisis caused by the war,” President Erdoğan noted.  

“WE WILL NEVER FORGET THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABANDONED IN OUR FIGHT AGAINST TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS”

The whole world has appreciated our sincere and realistic efforts in this process. It has been understood that Türkiye acts in a fair manner, brings stability, gives confidence, works for peace, favors solution, not crisis and that Türkiye endeavors for the welfare of the whole humanity, not only for its own. As the country and nation, we will continue to live up to this historic responsibility in the period ahead as well. Recent crises have actually laid bare the fragility of the security and welfare architecture, on which Europe had been built. Türkiye also has the potential to play a critical role in the solution of the issues facing Europe. For this, however, Europe has to first change its approach towards our country on every topic from diplomatic and economic relations to the fight against terror in accordance with the spirit of alliance and partnership. Evidently, it is difficult for us to envision a common future with a Europe, which supplies overt or covert support to the terrorist organizations Türkiye is fighting against, and which opposes Türkiye in every issue it is a party to. I don’t even mention other countless problems such as the flagrant injustices we have faced in the full membership process to the European Union, the covert embargoes imposed on us, the use of humanitarian issues as a tool of blackmail, etc...  Whereas, we are a country that had opted to walk with Europe in the aftermath of the Second World War and accordingly shouldered the burden of the cold war. No one can deny the contributions we make with our political, military and economic support as well as our labor force to Europe’s continuation of its security and prosperity. To be honest, we will never forget that despite all the sacrifices we have made, we have been abandoned particularly in our fight against terrorist organizations that target our unity and solidarity.”

“WE DO NOT FORSAKE DIALOGUE FOR AN EQUITABLE SOLUTION TO THE CYPRUS ISSUE”

“We, nevertheless, expressed it on every platform that terror is a global threat and the fight against it must be conducted in global cooperation,” President Erdoğan said. “We have effectively substantiated this view of ours on the ground by having dealt the biggest blow to DAESH, which the world, including Europe, considered as a top threat.” 

President Erdoğan continued: “We have shown it to everyone that we have the capabilities and determination to continue and complete the operations, which we have launched for our borders’ security, even if no one supports us. We will inshallah further advance our position by boosting our political, diplomatic and economic efficacy and achieving our goals in every area, first and foremost in defense industry. Likewise, we have not given in to those who recklessly support Greece in the Aegean and the Mediterranean and thus encourage its aggressive and provocative attempts. We are together at NATO but you are equipping Greece’s islands with weapons and aircrafts. We have yet to solve the F-16 issue with you even though we have made the payment for it. We do not forsake dialogue for an equitable solution to the Cyprus issue through new and concrete steps.”

With the Organization of Turkic States, we are building and further deepening a bridge of friendship and fraternity stretching from Europe to the inlands of Asia. We are rapidly strengthening our relations with the Gulf countries again, with some of which we had strained relations for some period in the past. We have started to reap the fruits of the political, economic and humanitarian programmes which we have been carrying out in Africa for a long time wholly on a win-win basis. Likewise, our will to forge close relations with Latin American countries is gradually translating into concrete steps as well.”

“EVERYBODY NOW UNDERSTANDS AND SEES THAT THERE IS NO SOLUTION TO REGIONAL AND GLOBAL ISSUES WITHOUT TÜRKİYE”

“Everybody now understands and sees that there is no solution to regional and global issues without Türkiye, as well as the benefits to be brought by Türkiye’s friendship,” President Erdoğan stated. “In the current era, when the world is faced with new and vital challenges, we will further consolidate our position as ‘a country that doesn’t follow but is followed’ with the Century of Türkiye vision. We will speed up our democracy and development moves with the goal that the Century of Türkiye becomes a century of serenity, security, stability and peace for the whole world as well as our country. The maxim we formulated in this regard as ‘right now, not tomorrow’ is relevant, most of all, to the solution of global issues. Türkiye will persistently continue to represent justice, conscience and a logical point of view under all circumstance and conditions. While inviting all to gather around the motto ‘the World is Bigger than Five,’ we will also continue to keep our hope alive by saying, ‘A Fairer World is Possible.’ While conducting diplomacy on the ground and at the table, we will not neglect activities that would keep the intellectual basis strong as well. In this regard, I hope the TRT World Forum will stand out as a platform closely followed for innovative approaches to complicated matters.”