Newsletters
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared on Friday that Türkiye will protect its rights to Mediterranean resources while working cooperatively with neighbors, speaking to journalists on Thursday following his meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump and U.N. General Assembly participation.
"Türkiye has no designs on anyone's rights or sovereignty. However, it is determined to protect its own rights and interests," Erdogan said when asked about naval exercises with Egypt and potential maritime agreements.
"Our approach to resources in the Mediterranean is clear. We take our share and work together with our neighbors on a win-win principle," he added.
The Turkish leader's comments came as he discussed the resumption of joint naval exercises with Egypt after a 13-year hiatus, which he described as a concrete indicator of Türkiye's role in regional peace and security.
"Türkiye's determined stance is causing calculations in the region to be remade," Erdogan stated. "Türkiye is now a power that has a say at the table, is a decision-maker and provides direction."
He noted that the peace achieved between conflicting parties in Libya through Turkish mediation has become a source of hope not only for the Libyan people but for the entire region.
Turkish president emphasized that the Palestinian cause dominated this year's U.N. General Assembly, with 10 more Western countries, including Security Council members Britain and France, announcing their recognition of Palestine.
"The recognition decisions of these two Security Council member countries are historic in nature," he said, noting that countries recognizing Palestine now exceed 150.
During his meeting with Trump, Erdogan said ending the Gaza conflict formed one of the main discussion topics, alongside maintaining stability in Syria and establishing Middle East peace.
The Turkish president said his "very comprehensive" discussion with Trump included steps to develop bilateral trade toward their $100 billion volume target, including reviewing customs duties.
"We examined steps that would open the way for cooperation in the defense field with a constructive perspective," Erdogan added.
2 min read
Regarding Turkish Cyprus, where elections are scheduled for Oct. 19, Erdogan maintained Türkiye's firm stance on a two-state solution.
"The federation book is now closed for us. No one can drag us back into federation discussions with word games," he stated, adding, "The only realistic solution is the acceptance of the existence of two separate states on the island."
When asked about Türkiye's second aircraft carrier project for the Kizilelma unmanned combat aircraft, Erdogan said construction would likely be completed within one to two years under the Defense Ministry and Naval Forces supervision.
4 min read
