Türkiye shows no retreat on its security: President’s chief advisor

ISTANBUL

The Turkish president's chief advisor on Saturday said that Ankara has not taken a step back on its security and the future of Syria.

"As far as Türkiye is concerned, we have not abandoned, taken a step back, or come to a different point regarding our security and the future of Syria,” Akif Cagatay Kilic said in a TV program.

Kilic said that one group was left out, adding that an opportunity window had opened and the administration there took quick action to assess it on the recent agreements reached by the Syrian government and other groups in Syria.

“We need to see the result of this agreement. We must closely follow where the step currently being attempted will lead and how it will develop,” he said.

Stating that there is progress in the process, Kilic said that Ankara will give all the support it can to ensure that the progress it sees develops positively.

Incidents in Latakia

On recent incidents in Syria’s Latakia province that happened between the ousted regime elements and the new government’s forces, Kilic said that it can be seen that a state authority is beginning to take shape, even though “loss of lives is a tragic situation for all of us.”

“From the perspective of maintaining security and stability and demonstrating that state authority is beginning to take shape, we can say that in a positive sense, a will has been shown to preserve the existence of a unitary structure there and ensure security,” he added.

On the existence of the ISIS (Daesh) terrorist organization, Kilic said that there is no future for the organization to come to life in the world, adding that Türkiye does not accept its existence and urges for its extermination.

Russia-Ukraine war

On recent developments in the ongoing three-year-long war, he said an attempt is being made to find a way out of “the crisis of the trust,” adding that it’s clear that there’s a common sense to end the war.

"A peace agreement after the ceasefire, the path to be followed after the ceasefire, and the technical details of this are still under negotiation. Everyone is seeking more, a longer-lasting and more sustainable result from their own perspective, but at this point, it is necessary to find a way to keep the negotiations as open as possible,” Kilic said, stressing Ankara’s stance on the issue.

Türkiye’s EU bid

On Türkiye’s full EU membership, Kilic said that the country “clearly” outlined what it can do, and the last 10 or 15 years have been an experience for both the country and the union, emphasizing that EU membership has always been Türkiye’s strategic goal.

Urging the union to enter a new era on the issues related to the decisions made by the partnership council against Türkiye, Kilic said: “Türkiye is not a country to be governed. When Türkiye joins a community or an institution, it is a country that contributes and can take that contribution to the highest level."

On the tension between the US and the EU regarding the arms, Kilic said that he didn’t think that the EU had enough money or technology to arm itself completely independently from the US, since there is a defense industry that has developed via “intense cooperation and interdependence.”

In response to European Parliament Türkiye rapporteur Nocho Sanchez Amor’s remarks on Türkiye’s EU bid, Kilic said that there are technical issues that definitely need to be addressed and worked on.

“I think these are somewhat hasty responses. It could be an approach that still presents the usual, clichéd, and outdated approaches from 3-4 years ago,” he added.

Gaza war, ceasefire

Stating that the process between Israel and Hamas is speeding up and slowing down, Kilic said that the goal is to make sure that “weapons are not fired any way,” a continuation of the ceasefire.

Stressing that the primary target is achieving a ceasefire that can be maintained and preserved, Kilic said that everyone has a role in this but the lion’s share falls on the US, “to be frank.”

He added that there is a consensus that the whole world is united in the belief that Gazans cannot be displaced from Gaza.

Azerbaijan, Armenia

On the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace agreement, Kilic stated that the consensus was a positive step, but emphasized that the process is still ongoing.

Pointing out that Azerbaijan’s territories have been under occupation for over 30 years, Kilic called for necessary steps to ensure this does not happen again, expressing hope over the construction of a sustainable and comprehensive peace in the shortest possible time.