Recep Tayyip Erdogan was asked to speak on the plane returning from New York about Turkey’s relations with Egypt, the possibility of Ankara reaching an agreement with Cairo similar to the one it has made with Libya regarding maritime jurisdiction, and how such a development could relate to Greece and Israel. “The peace achieved between the two opposing sides in Libya, through Turkey’s mediation, is a source of hope not only for the Libyan people but for the entire region. The good relations we have established with Egypt and the joint exercises of our naval forces in the Mediterranean after a 13-year hiatus are concrete indicators of Turkey’s role in regional peace and security. Turkey and Egypt are two important countries in our region. Progress in our relations in recent years has reached historic levels. We are working to increase these areas of cooperation,” said the Turkish president.
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Erdogan: Turkey now has a voice at the negotiating table, it is a decision-making and guiding force
He added: “Turkey has no ambitions regarding anyone’s rights or sovereignty. However, it is also determined to protect its own rights and interests. Our approach regarding resources in the Mediterranean is clear. We will take our share of these resources and cooperate with our neighbors based on the principle of mutual benefit (win-win). Turkey’s decisive stance is causing realignments in the region. Turkey now has a voice at the negotiating table, it is a decision-making and guiding force.”
Regarding Cyprus, the Turkish president did not change his stance, insisting on a two-state solution: “Our stance and policy regarding Cyprus is clear. The federation issue is now closed for us. No one can bring us back to federation discussions with word games. Turkish Cypriots will never accept being a minority on the island. The only realistic solution is to accept the existence of two separate states on the island. We have already stated this clearly in our speech at the United Nations General Assembly. We repeated our position there and declared it to the entire world. It would be wrong to expect this stance to change. We want the elections in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to be auspicious. We believe the Turkish Cypriot people will make the right and most appropriate choice. As a motherland and guarantor, we will never abandon our Turkish Cypriot brothers and sisters.”
