ISTANBUL
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that "establishing new equations in foreign policy" is not a choice, but a "necessity" for Türkiye.
"In a period when our region is constantly on edge, establishing new equations in foreign policy is not just a choice but a necessity for Türkiye," Erdogan said in his address after the Cabinet meeting.
He further said Türkiye is a country that "cannot be squeezed into a single bloc, with its geographical, human, economic, historical ties."
As important as advancing Türkiye's relations with West is for the country, it is equally crucial to strengthen cooperation with other regions, from Asia to Africa and Latin America, Erdogan stated.
He said they could not allow anyone to confine Türkiye within "their narrow molds," adding: "We neither turn our back on the East for the West nor neglect the West for the East."
"We advance our relations with everyone, starting from our neighbors, in line with the interests of our country," he added.
Erdogan pointed out that over the past 22 years, Türkiye has been taking historic steps to expand its sphere of influence in line with its interests, starting with its neighbors.
He said the country has moved on from engagements dating back to the Cold War era, instead adopting a "360-degree" foreign policy perspective.
Türkiye has strengthened ties even with former adversaries, on a basis of mutual respect and common interests, he said.
This has been achieved despite discussions fueled by certain circles on a "shift in axis," added Erdogan.
Underlining that Ankara will maintain this approach with new initiatives, Erdogan said Türkiye attaches "great importance to expanding the number of our friends."
"We see that not only us but also our neighbors and other countries are in need of these openings. Therefore, we believe it is beneficial to unclench fists," he added.
Everyone must understand that increasing regional cooperation and solidarity will strengthen resilience against growing threats, Erdogan said, adding that "otherwise, we cannot prevent our region's borders from being redrawn with bloodshed and tears as they were a century ago."
"We sincerely hope for the resolution of conflicts through negotiation at the negotiation table and mutual dialogue," he further stated.
Erdogan highlighted that a recent assassination attempt against former US President and presidential candidate Donald Trump over the weekend once again underscored the current fragility in the world.
He reiterated his condemnation of the attempt on Trump's life and voiced his well wishes to the former US leader, his family, and supporters.
New crises are emerging with nearly each passing day in the region and beyond, said Erdogan, adding that mounting uncertainties persist in many areas from the economy and trade to security. He said the search for a "new balance" in the global system continues to intensify.
Erdogan stated that despite this negative climate, Türkiye's government remains steadfast and undeterred from its goals.
NATO Summit
Drawing attention to last week's NATO summit in Washington, Erdogan said pointedly that weapons "given to our country by our allies with hesitation are coming out of the hideouts of the separatist terrorist organization."
He further said that the summit reaffirmed Türkiye's indispensable role within NATO.
Erdogan said that during the event, which marked the 75th anniversary of the alliance, he expressed Ankara's expectations from its allies on crucial matters such as defense industry and combating terrorism.
Highlighting that Türkiye wants far more cooperation on the both issues, Erdogan said: "Not to mention the thousands of trucks full of weapons and ammunition sent to the Syrian branch of the PKK under the pretext of fighting Daesh.
"We also encounter efforts to derail cooperation on critical materials related to defense industry trade."
He stated that these actions do not align with the solidarity and spirit of the alliance, which are the backbone of NATO. Erdogan also emphasized the need for these issues to be resolved promptly during the meetings.
Shanghai Summit
Stating that meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin were "fruitful" during the Shanghai Cooperation Summit held in the Kazakh capital Astana, Erdogan said Türkiye's "door is wide open" to any investment that will provide added value to the country's economy. "As long as we act with a win-win approach," he added.
"We desire to enhance our cooperation with both countries in every field, from trade to tourism, transportation to direct investments," said the Turkish president.
He stressed that an over $1 billion investment agreement signed recently with Chinese automaker BYD was the best example of mutual will.
With such investment partnerships, Ankara aims to bring bilateral trade to a more balanced and sustainable level, Erdogan highlighted.
