Trkiye will never allow the establishment of a terrorist state right next to its borders, says President

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned on Saturday that any new attempt by a PKK terrorist group to hold so-called elections in Syria would be met with resolute opposition from Trkiye.

“There are no elections at all; let's be clear first,” he said in response to journalists' questions after returning from his visits to Spain and Italy. “There is a plan to legitimize a terrorist organization and establish a terrorist state in the region.

Erdogan has highlighted Trkiye's ability to disrupt such plans in the past.

Noting that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held in-depth discussions in Moscow with President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on these crucial issues, Erdogan said: The PKK terrorist organization and others do not will not be able to act freely in Syria. If such a situation arises, we will certainly mobilize our relevant units accordingly. We will not allow a terrorist state to be established before our eyes. We will never and ever hesitate to do whatever is necessary to achieve this.

The terrorist group had earlier announced that the so-called local elections, initially scheduled for June 11 in the occupied territories, had been postponed to August 18.

– The position of Trkiye and Spain on Palestine

Erdogan highlighted the growing trade and cultural ties between Trkiye and Spain, and highlighted the two countries' unified position on the Palestinian issue.

“Spain has proven to be a beacon guiding the ship of humanity through the darkness,” he said, referring to Madrid's decision to recognize a Palestinian state on May 28, alongside the Norway and Ireland.

Our common perspective with Spain on the Palestinian issue is crucial,” Erdogan said, adding that Spain's position could prompt other European countries to reconsider their support for Israel.

“To overcome the ordeal that humanity currently faces regarding Palestine, I believe it is imperative that other countries resolutely express their opposition to Israel and position themselves on the side of peace,” he said. he declared.

– UN resolution on ceasefire

Erdogan also expressed cautious optimism that the UN Security Council would adopt a resolution proposing a three-phase ceasefire deal in Gaza, where Israel has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians in a little over eight months.

“Although the resolution adopted by the UN Security Council is a positive step, it can be considered inadequate. Israel's habit of neglecting many decisions taken on paper is well known.”

He reiterated that the path to definitive peace in the region lies in a two-State solution, and urged Security Council members to recognize Palestine as a State.

Erdogan expressed satisfaction with the truce offer announced by US President Joe Biden on May 31, but said it was necessary to make sincere efforts to end the violence in Palestine.

Commenting on U.S. relations with Israel and the pro-Palestine protest movement across the country, he said: The rising voices from American universities, the streets, students and presidents indicate that significant change is in progress.

Hopefully, with the upcoming elections in the United States, the atmosphere can evolve differently,” he remarked.

Regarding the purchase of Eurofighter Typhoons and Germany's objection, Erdogan said discussions had taken place with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on this issue.

As you know, Spanish training aircraft are important. They have the chance or the ability to provide us with these training aircraft. But at the point of contact with Germany, I told them [Spain] to help us in this regard. The planes are being developed jointly by Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy and Spain.

“Eurofighter is important for us at the moment,” Erdogan said, adding that his ministerial counterparts were engaged in discussions to advance the program. He highlighted Trkiye's preference for purchasing defense products from NATO allies.

“Our fundamental approach is clear: we prefer to meet our needs primarily from our NATO allies. However, if a negative result is obtained at the end of the process, we are not without alternatives,” the Turkish leader said .

Erdogan highlighted Trkiye's recent progress in defense capabilities, including the KAAN fighter.

– Concerns about racism in Europe

The Turkish president also stressed the need for Europe to confront the rise of racism, warning of the consequences if nothing is done to address it. “We have long been emphasizing the imminent danger,” Erdogan said, commenting on a question about the far-right's gains in recent European Parliament elections.

It is crucial that Europe acts…and implements realistic measures, otherwise this fire will reach a point where it will burn everyone, Erdogan said.

Similar dangers also exist when it comes to terrorism, Erdogan said, calling on Europe to fight indiscriminately against all forms of terrorism. “Let us together and definitively remove the scourge of terrorism from our agenda.”