In yet another provocative move, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, taking clear aim at Athens and Nicosia, spoke of Turkey being “excluded” due to “narrow political interests.” Speaking at a reception held in honor of foreign parliamentarians on the sidelines of the NATO Summit opening, the Turkish president argued that “despite our contributions, it is a fact that in certain cases, the irreplaceable benefits Turkey provides to European security are being overlooked.”
Erdoğan called for the creation of an “unconditional” security and defense network across the entire NATO alliance, “stretching from Texas to Ankara.” “As one of the countries that has a say in the development of the European pillar of the alliance, we have the will to be included in all initiatives for security on the continent. We expect your strong interest and support, as parliamentarians, for Turkey’s inclusion in the defense and security initiatives backed by the European Union,” he stated. “Turkey remains excluded from the EU’s SAFE defense funding program, even though Ankara is actively seeking ways to participate,” he added.
Erdoğan after exclusion from SAFE: “We must build a security and defense network stretching from Texas to Ankara”
“Excluding Turkey’s defense capabilities due to narrow political interests serves no one. We must build, across the entire alliance, a security and defense network stretching from Texas to Ankara — with no ‘ifs’ or ‘buts’.”
“With its powerful armed forces, modern military capabilities, and advanced defense industry, Turkey stands among the top Allies contributing to NATO’s security for over 70 years,” Erdoğan continued.
“We play an active role in NATO missions and contribute to the maintenance of peace and stability. We share with our Allies both our exceptional capacity to manage regional crises and our extensive experience within NATO.”
“Distinguished guests, another defining feature of the Ankara Summit will be the emphasis placed on defense industry cooperation. We must remove the barriers facing defense industry trade.”
Attack on Israel: “The perpetrators of the ongoing genocide in Gaza will certainly be held accountable”
“We are closely monitoring the attacks — particularly those targeting Lebanon — that seek to undermine the agreement which has brought a much-needed sense of relief to our region and to the world,” said Erdoğan, launching a sharp attack on Israel.
“We must ensure that the provocations of the genocidal network, which cannot tolerate the achievement of stability in our region and indeed views that stability as a threat to its own security, will not be allowed to succeed.”
“The perpetrators of the ongoing genocide in Gaza will certainly be held accountable, and we cannot ignore this fact.”
“The root cause of tensions in the Middle East is the Palestinian issue. Unfortunately, lasting peace cannot be achieved in our region as long as Israel’s occupation and continued land seizures persist.”
“The gateway to lasting peace is a two-state solution. An independent, sovereign, and territorially contiguous Palestinian state must be established based on the 1967 borders,” the Turkish president concluded.
