ISTANBUL

In his address to the UN General Assembly, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan highlighted the “unjust isolation” of Turkish Cypriots, saying the international community must put an end to this half-century practice.

Erdogan noted that the island of Cyprus has two states and two peoples and that “the Turkish Cypriots will not accept being a minority.”

He said Türkiye wants to see the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean as a “basin of stability,” respecting all parties’ legitimate interests and ready for constructive cooperation.  

Calls for peace

The Turkish president said there are “no winners in war, no losers in a just peace,” vowing to “continue efforts for a ceasefire” in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

He also stressed the need to stop the bloodshed in Sudan, saying that establishing a sustainable peace is the “shared responsibility of the international community,” and that efforts will continue for this goal.  

Stability and strengthening relations

Erdogan noted the ongoing process in post-Assad Syria, stating that “as stability takes root in Syria, there is no doubt that the winners will be the Syrian people, along with all neighboring countries and our entire region.”

Türkiye is strengthening relations with its NATO ally the US, the UN’s host nation, across many areas, he said, “especially trade, investment, energy, and the defense industry.”  

‘A more just world is possible’

The Turkish president reiterated his calls for a better world, one fairer and more just, stating that “Türkiye will patiently continue its struggle to build a more just world.”

He said that until a system in which the “righteous are powerful, not the powerful righteous” is established, Türkiye will continue to say that the “world is bigger than five.”  

Future of humanity

Besides conflicts and regional tensions, Erdogan also highlighted overlooked global issues, such as artificial intelligence and the family.

“Artificial intelligence technologies should be used for the benefit of humanity, not as a new tool of domination,” he said.

​​​​​​​The Turkish president also said that the institution of family is under threat “as never before” and vowed that Türkiye will continue to defend it.