Türkiye ready to show effort to end Ukraine war: Erdoğan
ANKARA
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has told Russian leader Vladimir Putin that Türkiye is ready to exert all kinds of efforts to end the war between Moscow and Kiev, reiterating that the continued armed conflict since 2022 did not benefit either side.
“Türkiye plays a role in the peaceful resolution of conflicts in our region. In particular, it is our expectation, and Mr. Putin’s, that the war between Russia and Ukraine will end peacefully as soon as possible,” Erdoğan told reporters aboard his flight back from Kyrgyzstan on Sept. 2, where he held a bilateral meeting with Putin on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit.
Describing his meeting with Putin as very fruitful and sincere, Erdoğan said they discussed all the aspects of bilateral ties as well as the ongoing war.
Türkiye’s wish is to see the establishment of peace and stability in the region with the termination of the war, Erdoğan said. “It is obvious that this war does not bring any positive outcome to either side, to the region and the world. Is Mr. Putin happy about this? No, he is not. He, too, is hopeful that the war will end,” he added.
Erdoğan noted that he has “expressed our readiness to do our best for peace. It is a reality that peace will prevail and not war. We are ready to exert efforts to this end.”
Black Sea security is important for Türkiye.
On a question about increased attacks on civilian ships, including those with Turkish flags, Erdoğan underscored the importance of uninterrupted maritime security for Türkiye in the Black Sea.
“The conflict between the warring sides should not escalate to a point where it jeopardizes the safety of civilians and businesses. For these reasons, we are acting with a much broader perspective. We need to solve this problem,” he said.
Erdoğan reiterated the need for the establishment of a new mechanism to secure the shipment in the Black Sea, urging for a speedy resolution before a food security crisis erupts mostly in Africa due to insufficient supply of grain.
Greece should not arm islands.
Another important question Erdoğan answered was on Greece's attempts to arm the Aegean islands with demilitarized status at the expense of ruining ties with Ankara. Greece and Israel have recently signed a multibillion-dollar agreement to bolster the former’s air defense system.
“Greece must reverse the change and course and stop arming islands that have demilitarized status. History is a very good guide for those who learn from it. We will continue to work for peace, security, and stability in our region,” he stated.
Türkiye has always been acting in a constructive way, but it did not receive the same from Greece, Erdoğan said. “Whoever interprets Türkiye’s calm and responsible approach as weakness is making a serious mistake.”
Talks for F-35s continue.
On a question about Türkiye’s plans to return to the F-35 program after transferring its Russian-made S-400 air defense systems, Erdoğan said he discussed all the matters with Putin during their bilateral meeting.
“As you know, Türkiye was part of the F-35 program and delivered an enormous contribution to it. Our talks for Türkiye’s return to the program continue. We think that this issue will be solved following the accomplishment of the processes in the U.S.,” he stated.
Türkiye was expelled from the F-35 joint fighter program in 2019 after it purchased and deployed S-400 air defense systems from Russia. The U.S. laws require that Türkiye end its possession of the S-400 systems to return the purchase of F-35s.
Erdoğan said Türkiye, in the meantime, is accelerating its efforts to create its own jet fighter, Kaan, and other air defense systems. “This is the road map of strong Türkiye,” he added.
‘Terror-free Türkiye’ projects advances
Erdoğan also commented on the implementation of his government’s “terror-free Türkiye” project after an interagency security committee was formed to oversee the process.
“We, as the state, have a road map, a plan, and a timing. Our institutions are working in coordination,” he stated.
“For the law to be implemented, the terror organization must actually lay down its arms and be dissolved. The procedures for this process are well defined. The process is proceeding step by step,” he added.
The president said the state and all other relevant bodies are running the process with care in a bid not to give any room for those who want to ruin it.