President Erdoğan: Western states failed in the most fundamental test of humanity
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a press conference following the G20 Osaka Summit in Japan.
Noting that he sees the G20 Osaka Summit as a very productive and successful meeting during which topics of the global agenda were extensively discussed, President Erdoğan said that he had consultations with his counterparts on current issues during the summit meetings, bilateral talks and leaders’ gatherings held as part of the G20 Osaka Summit spanning two days.
Trade wars and protectionist measures were on the agenda, President Erdoğan said, emphasizing the importance, in terms of global economy, of boosting international cooperation and keeping open the channels of confidence among between countries.
“We have consensus on the fact that infrastructure investments serve as a driving force for economic prosperity, development and comprehensive growth. In this context, we have adopted and approved the G20 principles for quality infrastructure investment,” President Erdoğan said.
Measures for the formation of a fair, sustainable and modern taxation system at a global scale were discussed, President Erdoğan stated, and said: “As regards the taxation of digital economy, a consensus-based solution should be developed taking into consideration the dynamics unique to countries and on the basis of respect for countries’ right for regulation. We, as the G20, have adopted a communique which I believe will shape the future in this area.”
“WESTERN STATES FAILED IN THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL TEST OF HUMANITY”
Turkey’s efforts and endeavors for refugees have been told to the summit session on inequalities, President Erdoğan underlined. Pointing out that Turkey has opened its doors to millions of people fleeing the conflicts in Syria, President Erdoğan reiterated that Turkey is now home to over 4 million refugees, 3.6 million of them Syrians.
Underscoring that Turkey has spent more than $37 billion for refugees according to the UN’s calculations, President Erdoğan said: “Just a few countries like Turkey and Jordan which neighbor Syria have had to shoulder the burden of millions of irregular migrants all by themselves. Developed countries and western states, which lecture other countries on human rights, have unfortunately failed in the most fundamental test of humanity.”
Warning that little kids will continue to lose their lives on river banks and sea shores unless policies centered on conscience rather than prejudices are implemented for refugees, President Erdoğan stated: “We told our interlocutors that the international community must share responsibility and burden in order for Turkey to be able to carry on with its services and aid.”
“INTERNATIONAL TRADE WAS ONE OF THE TOPICS HIGH ON THE SUMMIT AGENDA”
Referring to international trade as one of the topics high on the summit agenda, President Erdoğan reaffirmed Turkey’s commitment for an open, free and rule-based multilateral trade system. Steps to be taken to eliminate tensions should be compatible with the WTO rules, President Erdoğan added.
Citing climate as an issue to which the G20 attaches importance, President Erdoğan said that Turkey, as one of the countries with the lowest emission rates among the G20 members, has been calling for a fair approach to the issue of climate change since the beginning.
As regards energy, President Erdoğan stated that Turkey has carried out the necessary transformations in order to meet the increasing need, decrease the dependency on import and ensure supply security. Stressing that nearly 1 billion people across the world have no access to electricity, President Erdoğan said: “This merciless situation in access to energy is one of the most important signs of global injustice. It is imperative for the G20 to assume bigger initiative in line with sustainable development goals.”
“G20 MEMBERS MUST DISPLAY A PRINCIPLED STANCE ON THE FIGHT AGAINST TERROR”
G20 members must display a principled, coherent and determined stance on the fight against terror, underscored President Erdoğan, further stressing that it is wrong to classify terrorist organizations according to their ideologies or identities.
Noting that many countries have witnessed the bloody face of terror in recent years, President Erdoğan stated that the terrorist attacks perpetrated by different terrorist organizations in Paris, Brussels, Lebanon, Nigeria, Somalia and Sri Lanka have once again shown that terror cannot be associated with a certain region, ethnic identity or religious group.
“The identity of the terrorist in Istanbul, Lahore or Beirut bears no meaning or significance. Terrorism is the enemy of all mankind and humane values. Therefore, all states must exhibit the virtue of ‘calling terror terror’. Unfortunately, there are significant problems and contradictions in this respect especially in the context of Syria. Terrorist organizations such as the PYD/PKK that commit ethnic cleansing, forcefully recruit children and force people to migration are being held in high esteem, so-to-speak, by some allies of ours,” President Erdoğan said.
“JUST LIKE A SCORPION, TERROR WILL EVENTUALLY STING THE HAND THAT FEEDS IT”
Stressing that formations like FETO in Turkey are harbored by some western countries, President Erdoğan stated: “Providing protection and refuge, under the guise of political asylum, to putschists that have targeted our democracy will inflict a heavy cost on the entire humanity. Just like a scorpion, terror will eventually sting the hand that feeds it. Just as terrorist organizations like DAESH, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram and Al-Shabab pose a threat to global security, so are neo-Nazi formations dangerous to the same extent as we witnessed in the despicable massacre in New Zealand.”
Highlighting that the Breivik massacre, which took place in Norway in 2011 and claimed 77 lives, showed the entire world what kind of sufferings the racism can cause unless necessary lessons are taken, President Erdoğan said: “The international community didn’t take lessons from this massacre and racist attacks continued to occur in other countries. We are voicing our concerns as a country that has sacrificed its citizens to racist murders in Solingen and NSU murders. We don’t want racism, which surrounds the Western world like a poison ivy, to turn into a nightmare for our citizens or for our European friends. To that end, we make our warnings and display our reactions.”
“WE HAVEN’T ALLOWED THE JAMAL KHASHOGGI MURDER TO BE COVERED UP”
Pointing out that Turkey’s sensitivities in the fight against terror and cultural racism stem from the importance it attaches to the establishment of justice, President Erdoğan said: “We displayed this sensitive stance of ours in the case of the late journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was atrociously murdered last year. Working in cooperation with the United Nations, we haven’t allowed the Jamal Khashoggi murder to be covered up. The report released last week clarifies many facts of the murder. We expect the United Nations to stand behind Special Rapporteur Callamard’s report and take necessary steps. It is the international community’s primary duty to fully bring to light the Jamal Khashoggi murder and hold to account all those responsible from the highest level to the lowest level.
As regards the death of Egypt’s first democratically-elected president Mohammed Morsi, President Erdoğan underlined that Morsi, who had been tried by coup courts for 6 years, died in the courtroom on June 16 in a dubious manner and that his death should be fully investigated.
“THE STATEMENTS OF PUTSCHISTS ON MORSI ARE FAR FROM EASING CONSCIENCES”
“The statements of putschists on Morsi, who was left to death without making any interventions for almost half an hour, are far from easing consciences,” President Erdoğan said, adding that he expected the G20 leaders to protect democracy and humane values more strongly in the face of Morsi’s death.
Drawing attention to the fact that Morsi’s body was buried without a coroner’s inquest, President Erdoğan, underscoring that there are definitely doubts about his death, said that all politicians, first and foremost the UN, should bring those responsible to account.
Also criticizing Western countries and human rights organizations’ silence on the death penalties in Egypt, President Erdoğan said that after five days from the execution of nine Egyptian young people, European Union member countries came together at a summit held on February 25 in Sharm El Sheikh, and added: “European leaders did not refrain from shaking hands with putschists during that summit. Neither the murder of Khashoggi nor President Morsi’s death, which is full of doubts, should be allowed to be taken off the agenda. I believe that international media will boldly address the dubious death of Morsi just as they addressed the murder of Khashoggi.”
“THE BALANCE BETWEEN FREEDOM AND SECURITY SHOULD BE PRESERVED”
Underscoring that cyberattacks threaten the security of everything, from big companies to state institutions and even democratic elections, President Erdoğan said that particularly terrorist organizations exploit this vacuum to spread their propagandas and recruit new militants.
It is a must that regulations that will make communication technologies much securer should be implemented by preserving the balance between freedom and security, the President went on to say, and noted that the sensitivity with regard to these issues has been increased among G20 members.
Pointing out that as G20 members, they have reiterated their determination on decreasing and preventing wastage, President Erdoğan said that they have made commitments to carry out more works on employment policies, child labor, forced labor, putting an end to human trafficking and modern slavery, and increasing women employment.
“THE FATE OF ALL 192 UN MEMBER STATES SHOULD NOT BE LEFT TO THE MERCY OF FIVE PERMANENT MEMBERS”
Underscoring that the G20 should not focus solely on economic issues, President Erdoğan said: “It is not an accurate and fair approach to leave the fate of all 192 UN member states to the mercy of five permanent members. The G20 platform, on the other hand, has a much more democratic and more inclusive structure. We want the G20 to become a more effective, more result-oriented and stronger platform in terms of resolving global issues. Or, if the UN continues with 192 states, the UN Security Council should be not a platform that consists of both permanent and non-permanent members but a platform where all the members are permanent. Certainly, the current five members of the UNSC will not easily consent to this. Yet, we, the 192 countries in the world, should force them. It will not be true that such an organization will last forever. Undoubtedly, in order to achieve this, the members should fulfill their commitments and display a fair stance.”
“S-400S ARE IN DELIVERY PROCESS”
Answering reporters’ questions following his remarks, President Erdoğan, in response to a question regarding the purchase of S-400s from Russia, said that the agreement has already been made and that S-400s are in the delivery process, adding: “It does not befit a country like Turkey to deny such an agreement that is in the delivery process.” Also mentioning the issue of sanctions, President Erdoğan noted that U.S. President Donald Trump made it clear today that there will not be any sanctions. Stressing that Turkey has a strategic partnership with the U.S., President Erdoğan underlined that no one has the right to intervene in Turkey’s sovereignty rights.
Referring to F-35 jets, President Erdoğan drew attention to the 1.4 billion dollars that Turkey has thus far paid for the project, and stated that 4 F-35s have been delivered to Turkey so far, and that there are still 116 jets to be delivered.
UN REPORT ABOUT THE MURDER OF SAUDI JOURNALIST KHASHOGGI
Asked about the United Nations report about the murder of Saudi Journalist Jamal Khashoggi, President Erdoğan said that everything has been laid bare in the report, and voiced his belief that both the U.S. and the UN will pursue the issue. Underscoring that Turkey will also follow the issue to the end, President Erdoğan made it clear that the perpetrators will not get away with it. Further stressing that all the information and recordings have been shared with Saudi intelligence officials, President Erdoğan said: “15 people who were sent to Turkey by two planes at the beginning are the perpetrators of this murder, and it is Mohammad Bin Salman who should directly uncover this issue.”
“THE TERROR CORRIDOR IN THE NORTH OF SYRIA SHOULD BE TURNED INTO A PEACE CORRIDOR”
Asked about his meeting with President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation, President Erdoğan said that one of the topics they discussed during the meeting was Idlib. Pointing to the Syrian regime’s attacks on Turkey’s observation posts in the region, President Erdoğan said Turkey has duly responded to these attacks, and that as Turkey, it is their wish that such attacks will not occur in the future. The President also stated that the observation posts are there to protect Idlib and the region.
Referring to his meeting with U.S. President Trump, President Erdoğan noted that they discussed the issues of Manbij and east of the Euphrates during the meeting, and went on to say that the terror corridor in the north of Syria should be turned into a peace corridor and that the Syrian people should be placed there.
