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"Türkiye has become an indispensable actor in its region"

Presidency of The Republic of Turkey

30.05.2024

Speaking at the Exercise EFES-2024, President Erdoğan said: "Since 2002, we have mobilized all kinds of means to maximize the level of indigenous production in defense industry. Thanks to the progress it has made in defense industry, Türkiye has become one of the indispensable actors in its region."

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made a speech at the Exercise EFES-2024 in Izmir.

Stating that nearly two thousand friendly military staff from 45 different countries have joined the Exercise EFES-2024 along with the Turkish soldiers, President Erdoğan voiced his pleasure over the increasing interest in the exercise in every area, and added: "I thank all who have contributed to the exercise that has been carried out in two stages with the participation of 11 thousand military personnel since April 15."

"WE FAVOR PEACE AND COOPERATION"

Underscoring that the Exercise EFES-2024 does not target any country, President Erdoğan noted: "Our exercise has been carried out with a generic scenario based on an exercise promoting peace. I believe that the exercise will increase our military's capabilities for the planning, coordination and execution of united and joint exercises."

"We favor peace and cooperation, not tension or quarrel," President Erdoğan stated, and added: "We want to live side by side with the countries with which we share the same geography. We do not harbor any enmity or prejudice against any country. We do not have an eye on anyone's land or sovereign rights. We never have and never will leave in the air a hand extended sincerely to us. We stand ready to establish dialogue, contact and strengthen our ties with anyone who respects Türkiye's interests and seeks to enhance their cooperation with us."

"OUR EFFORTS WITHIN THE ISTANBUL PROCESS HAVE BEEN HINDERED"

Underscoring that Türkiye is not a country far away from global developments, President Erdoğan went on to say: "We are located in a geography where the most intensive conflicts, political crises and disputes are occurring in the world right now. All the incidents occupying the humanity's agenda are taking place in Türkiye's near environ. The war between Russia and Ukraine, our neighbors at the Black Sea, has entered its third year. Our efforts aimed at establishing 'a just peace' with the Istanbul Process have unfortunately been hindered and sabotaged by war lobbies. No one even knows when and how this war, whose financial cost to our region and the world increases each passing day, will end."

"Chaos and instability still prevail in Syria, our another neighbor," President Erdoğan said, and stated: "The Syrian extension of the separatist terrorist organization has intensified its efforts and its pressures on and threats against the people in the region with the aim of establishing a 'terroristan'. They resort to any avenue, from exiling people, who refuse to bow down to the group or resist extortion, from their own lands to recruiting child soldiers. It is understood that the issue here is not the fight against DAESH, but the systematic implementation of an insidious plan directly targeting our country and region. We closely follow the terrorist organization's belligerent acts against the territorial sovereignty of our country and Syria under the pretext of a referendum. We have previously laid bare firmly our policy on this issue. Türkiye will never allow the separatist organization to establish a 'teroristan' right beyond its southern borders in the north of Syria and Iraq. We previously did whatever was necessary in the face of faits accomplis, and we will not hesitate to take action if we face the same.

"WE EXPECT ALL THE ACTORS IN THE REGION TO APPRECIATE OUR LEGITIMATE CONCERNS"

"I would like it to be known that the argument of fight against DAESH is already null and void to us. We are the only NATO ally that has fought hand-to-hand against DAESH, dealt the heaviest blow to this group on the ground and defeated them. Therefore, we know well what is sought to be done and what kind of a game is played through this organization. We do not fall for, give credit to these tricks. We neither listen to anyone nor bow down to any threat when it comes to our country's territorial integrity and our nation's security. We believe that the separatist terrorist organization and the powers protecting them will see that they can get nowhere with faits accomplis. We expect all the actors in the region to appreciate our legitimate concerns on this issue and respect them."

Further stating that besides Russia, Ukraine and Syria, Türkiye's other neighbor Iraq is worn out as well because of wars and conflicts, President Erdoğan said: "We follow with pleasure and support friendly and brotherly Iraq's efforts to recover, develop and stand on its own feet. We will continue to stand with our Iraqi brothers and sisters with all our means. We maintain our works in order for peace and stability to prevail in a vast geography stretching from Pakistan to Afghanistan, Libya to Somalia and Sudan, the Turkic republics to the Balkans. We do not keep the security of all these countries that we describe as our kindred geography separate from the security of our own nation. With the liberation of Karabakh after 30 years, a historic window of opportunity has genuinely been opened for lasting peace in our region. We think that it mustn't be wasted. Armenia will get closer to peace to the extent that it frees itself of foreign powers and diaspora. The Armenian people should see and understand that their future is with their neighbors they have for ages and will continue to live together, not with those who make empty talks and provocations, and should do boldly what it requires."

"OVER 36 THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN MASSACRED MERCILESSLY IN GAZA"

"Obviously, while on one hand promising developments take place in our region, Israel's brutal attacks on Gaza increase exponentially," President Erdoğan continued, and added: "Over 36 thousand innocent and unprotected people have been massacred mercilessly. Over 15 thousand children and over 10 thousand women have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian lands. 2.3 million people have been forced to immigrate. Within nearly eight months, Gaza has turned into a huge wreck, where there is almost no undamaged building. The air attack conducted on a refugee camp the other day was already the point where the humanity ended. No excuse can justify such atrocity. War has its own law, boundaries and code of conduct. Killing 36 thousand innocent people, injuring more than 80 thousand innocent people, attacking mosques, schools, hospitals, churches, and dropping bombs over civilians in food queues or officials delivering aid is an overt genocide, not war."

"Those, who ignore this genocide, not only support the commitment of this war crime, but also become a complicit in this crime," President Erdoğan noted, and stated: "I think no moral and conscientious person will approve of this picture of insanity. Türkiye is doing what is expected from it, what befits it and what its historical legacy requires in the face of this scene of atrocity. We as Türkiye will increasingly continue our diplomatic efforts for the declaration of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. We will continue to support all the steps in order for those responsible for the genocide to be held to account before law. We hereby thank all the countries who stand on the right side of the history, recognize the Palestinian state and raise their voices against this oppression."

"HAVING HIGH DETERRENCE IS OBLIGATORY FOR TÜRKİYE"

Stressing that being strong in terms of military, technology and human resource and having high deterrence is obligatory for Türkiye given the fact that its near environ is surrounded by a circle of fire, President Erdoğan said: "We consider it to be an essential necessity to equip the Turkish Armed Forces with the most advanced equipment and systems on the ground. Since 2002, we have mobilized all kinds of means to maximize the level of indigenous production in defense industry."

"Thanks to the progress it has made in defense industry, Türkiye has become one of the indispensable actors in its region," President Erdoğan noted, and continued as follows: "While there were only 62 active defense projects in 2002, today this number has exceeded a thousand. While the budget of the active defense projects in 2002 was some 5.5 billion dollars, the volume of the ongoing projects today has surpassed 96 billion dollars. We are among the 10 countries capable of designing, building and operating their own warships. And we are one of the 3-4 leading countries in UAV and UCAV production."