Türkiye's president on Wednesday voiced the need to respect Russia's statement on reports of a suspected missile attack on Poland and said pointing fingers at Russia would further escalate tensions.
Speaking at a press conference on the sidelines of the G-20 Bali Summit in Indonesia, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: "I need to respect Russia's statement. In this regard, it is important for us (to mention) that Russia says, 'This has nothing to do with us'."
He said that pointing fingers at Russia after finding out that the missile is not Russian-made will further escalate tensions.
Erdogan’s remarks came after reports of a suspected missile attack on Poland that killed two people.
“While we are endeavoring to bring Russia and Ukraine around the same table, there is no need to find any third partner to this war,” Erdogan added.
On the Istanbul grain deal, Erdogan said as soon as he returns from Bali, he will speak with his Russian counterpart about the extension of the grain deal by at least one year. “We will also discuss the transport of fertilizer and ammonia," he added.
Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed an agreement on July 22 in Istanbul to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which were paused after the Russia-Ukraine war began in February.
More than 10 million tons of grain have been exported from Ukraine since Aug. 1, according to the UN.
F-16s sale
About Washington’s potential sale of F-16 fighter jets to Ankara, Erdogan said: “(US President Joe) Biden said that there had been favorable developments.”
He also recalled his previous meetings in New York and said: “I heard from the Republicans that they approached this issue positively.”
The relations between Ankara and Washington have been strained in recent years due to US cooperation with the YPG/PKK terrorist group in Syria, its failure to extradite the wanted ringleader of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), disagreements over Türkiye’s purchase of Russia’s S-400 air defense system, and Washington's sanctions on Ankara.
The US has said it is cooperating with the YPG/PKK in northern Syria to fight the terrorist group Daesh/ISIS, but Turkish officials say using one terrorist group to fight another makes no sense, morally or otherwise.
On the admission of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) to the Organization of Turkic States as an observer member, Erdogan said: “We do not need to get permission from any country or authority about this decision. It's finished.”
Earlier this month, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced the TRNC’s admission to the Organization of Turkic States as an observer member. “We are always by the side of #TRNC everywhere,” Cavusoglu said on Twitter.
Erdogan calls for support in fight against terror
Speaking on the terror attack in Istanbul’s Istiklal Avenue, Erdogan said: “Those who support the terrorist organization under the pretext of fighting Daesh are also accomplices in every drop of bloodshed.”
The Turkish president called for “the sincere support of all our friends and allies for Türkiye's righteous struggle.”
“We will continue to firmly implement our strategy of eliminating the terrorist threat at its source,” he added.
At least six people were killed and 81 injured in Sunday's bomb blast, which the Turkish government confirmed was carried out by the terror group YPG/PKK.
G-20 summit
Erdogan said that G-20 leaders evaluated the latest developments on the global, political and economic outlook during the two-day summit.
The president added that for the last three years, the world has been going through a “painful” period, which started with the pandemic and has grown more complicated because of hot conflicts and regional tensions.
“We still experience the negative impacts the harsh measures taken during the pandemic have had on supply chains,” he said.
“Particularly the exorbitant price hikes in energy, food and raw materials put pressure on all the economies as a whole,” he added.
Erdogan said that the “fragile states” in Africa and Asia are “hit the hardest by the deterioration in the global economy.”
Underscoring that hunger and famine threaten millions of people in a wide range of regions from Somalia to Yemen, Sudan to Afghanistan, he said: “The economic crisis has led to an increase in hate speeches targeting Muslims, as well as immigrants of African and Asian origins, particularly in Western countries.
“We believe that Islamophobia and xenophobia should be addressed with greater care,” the president added.
Responding to a question over an allegation that Türkiye pursued an “aggressive” policy in the Aegean, Syria and Iraq, Erdogan said: “We have no issue with Kurds in northern Iraq and northern Syria the way we do not have any issue with Kurdish people in Türkiye.”
Asked about Greek officials' remarks on the Mediterranean and Agean islands, Erdogan said that Greece boosting its military presence on the Aegean islands has no meaning.
He said that Greece should mind its place and remember the history, and reiterated: “We can come suddenly one night.”
