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"We want our region to be a geography of peace"

Presidency of The Republic of Turkey

11.04.2025

Addressing the 4th Antalya Diplomacy Forum, President Erdoğan said: "We want our region, which is as old as humanity itself, to be a geography of civilization, security, peace and serenity, in keeping with its deep-rooted history. We want to see a region where reconciliation prevails over conflicts; solidarity over fragmentation; and prosperity and stability over bloodshed, tears, sufferings and tensions. This is the world we wish to live in and leave to our children."

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered a speech at the 4th Antalya Diplomacy Forum, themed 'Reclaiming Diplomacy in a Fragmented World'.

Extending his thanks to each one of the guests honoring the forum from every corner of the world, President Erdoğan expressed his wish for the forum to lead to auspicious developments for the whole humanity, particularly the innocents and victims in the geography surrounding Türkiye.

"WE FAVOR DIALOGUE OVER CONFLICTS, COMMON SENSE OVER POLARIZATION"

Congratulating all those who contributed to successfully holding the forum, which has become a global brand where the heart of diplomacy beats, paticularly the Turkish Foreign Ministry and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, President Erdoğan also thanked Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, a former Foreign Minister and a deputy for Antalya, for spearheading the launch of the forum during his tenure at the helm of the Foreign Ministry.

President Erdoğan said: "I hope that the panels and discussions to be held as part of the forum, themed 'Reclaiming Diplomacy in a Fragmented World', will help us all make a fruitful tour of horizon. Today in Antalya, we are once again declaring collectively to the entire world that we favor dialogue over conflicts, common sense over polarization, and global conscience over power struggles. The messages of friendship and peace we are sending from Antalya to the whole world set the Antalya Diplomacy Forum apart from its counterparts. As is the case every year, thousands of participants will exchange views and offer solutions on critical regional and global issues for a period of three days."

"THE WORLD IS BIGGER THAN FIVE BECAUSE HUMANITY IS BIGGER THAN FIVE"

"While the humanity makes consecutive strides in technology, the internationally system cannot display the same performance in keeping up with the age. At a time when we are grappling with problems concerning all humanity such as terrorism, hunger, racism, poverty, Islamophobia, anti-immigration, and climate crisis, we unfortunately see that the international community falls short of developing more just and more conscientious policies. We witness this failure on a daily basis and in a very large area, particularly in the conflicts and tensions occurring in our region. It is evident that we need to give more prominence to diplomacy's capability of making humanitarian, enterprising, and future-oriented formulations. The world is bigger than five because humanity is bigger than five. While making this formulation, our goal has been to make such an understanding dominant. Given its expertise as well as its historical, social and cultural richness and deepness, Türkiye is one of the top countries to be able to send this message with greatest ease. I would like to bring that fact to your attention: We are not a country located in a comfortable geography away from problems. We live in a country that is as strategically important as it is prone to crises. This has always been the case throughout history. Our environment has never been free from occupation attempts, the Crusades, imperial schemes, or efforts to incite tensions and instabilities. Our geography has been the region most affected and most damaged by the destructive competition between great powers extending from the World War I to the Cold War."

"WE ARE NOT MERELY INHABITANTS OF THIS GEOGRAPHY; WE ARE ALSO ITS RIGHTFUL OWNERS"

"Today as well, many issues, wars, crises and tensions that dominate the international political agenda unfold in our surrounding geography. I am proud to state that we are not merely inhabitants of this geography; we are also its rightful owners. We have been here for a thousand years, and inshallah, we will remain here for many more centuries to come.

We want our region, which is as old as humanity itself, to be a geography of civilization, security, peace and serenity, in keeping with its deep-rooted history. We want to see a region where reconciliation prevails over conflicts; solidarity over fragmentation; and prosperity and stability over bloodshed, tears, sufferings and tensions. This is the world we wish to live in and leave to our children. This, we of course know, is not easy to achieve."

"ISRAEL HAS BEEN OPENLY CARRYING OUT GENOCIDE AGAINST THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE"

"We are well aware that peace takes more effort than war. Yet, we have always chosen the difficult one over the easy one and, today as well, we opt for the difficult one. In this spirit, just as we make efforts for lasting peace and stability in our surrounding geography such as Ukraine, Sudan, Syria and Gaza, which are our close friends, we are also taking responsibility through initiatives like mediation and facilitation in Africa and Asia. By fostering good relations with our neighbors, by expanding the means for cooperation and trade, and also by building bridges of dialogue between conflicting parties, we are striving to establish a belt of peace and security around our country. I would like to sincerely emphasize that we have no designs on anyone's territory, sovereignty, or resources. Wherever we have a presence as Türkiye, we concern ourselves with those above the ground, that is people, not with what is beneath it. One cannot flourish through oppression. A prosperous future cannot be built upon exploitation and conflicts.

As you know, the issue that most hurts the global conscience and justice is the oppression in Palestine, particularly in Gaza. Israel has been openly carrying out genocide against the Palestinian people for the past 1.5 years, violating the most basic human rights and international law. To protest this tyranny and to give the strongest possible response is not only our duty of brotherhood, but also our duty to humanity. That is so because we all carry a heart. Remaining silent to Israel's atrocities means being complicit in this crime.

A tent sheltering reporters in the city of Khan Younis was bombed by Israeli forces just a few days ago. Three journalists were killed in this attack, with 10 others, including nine members of the press, heavily wounded. One of those martyred was a reporter by the name of Ahmed Mansour. The footage showing Ahmed Mansour burning alive in the tent following the attack not only shocked us all but also once again laid bare the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Israel. The Israeli administration has massacred, has murdered 211 journalists thus far. This morning alone, 10 people from the same family, including seven children, died a martyr's death in Khan Younis. I am now asking you; what is this if not barbarism? What is it, if not banditry, to execute healthcare personnel on their way to help the wounded inside an ambulance? For God's sake what is it, if not cowardice, to ruthlessly murder babies, children, and women struggling to hold onto life among debris? What is it, if not cruelty, to rain bombs down on a people - be they children, women, the elderly, or civilians - confined to 360 square kilometers, denied access to humanitarian aid, and condemned to hunger, thirst and lack of medication for months? Let's put our hands on our hearts and ask these questions to ourselves? Would a legitimate state, even if in war, act this way? Isn't this state terrorism? That's why Israel is a terrorist state. This cannot be called anything else."

"NO ONE CAN TARNISH THE HEROIC STRUGGLE OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE AGAINST OCCUPATION BY LABELING IT AS TERRORISM"

"The Israeli government is working to expel the Palestinian people from their own lands and make them experience a second Naqba. Israel, which gets away with every crime it commits, wages attacks that get more and more atrocious, more and more cruel, and more and more bloody. What is more, Israel tries to legitimize its massacres by labeling our brothers and sisters in Gaza, who are using their right to legitimate self-defense in the face of the occupation, as terrorists.

Let me tell it openly that no one can tarnish the heroic struggle of the Palestinian people against occupation by labeling it as terrorism. Our Palestinian brothers and sisters have become a source of pride for humanity by selflessly defending their lands since October 7, 2023. The Turkish nation, as has been throughout history, stands in full solidarity with their Palestinian brothers and sisters today. 500 years ago, we welcomed Israeli people, Jews, who were expelled from their lands. What Türkiye was back then is the same today. Since the start of the attacks, we have dispatched over 101 thousand tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza. We will inshallah continue to extend our helping hand to the innocents in Gaza. As long as Israel's state terror in Gaza continues, ceasefire efforts continue to be sabotaged, and bombs continue to rain down on the innocent, achieving lasting peace will be quite difficult. Peace in the Middle East can be achieved only on the basis of a two-state solution of the Israel-Palestine issue. This depends on the establishment of a free, sovereign, and territorially-integrated state of Palestine within the 1967 borders, with East al-Quds as its capital. I once again call on all members of the international community, especially the UN Security Council, to stop the bloodshed and stand by the Palestinian people."

"SYRIAN PEOPLE HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF SUFFERING, PERSECUTION AND WAR"

"I also would like to stress that Israel, with its aggressions on Lebanon and Syria, is turning into a problematic country that poses a direct threat to regional stability. Israel's attacks undermine the fight against DAESH as well. Inciting ethnic and religious affiliations in Syria, it is working to dynamite the December 8 revolution. Türkiye's stance on this issue is very clear. We are one of the countries that suffered the most from the 14-year conflict and instability in our neighbor Syria. We cannot allow the opportunity to establish lasting stability in Syria and across our entire region, which emerged with the December 8 revolution, to go to waste. We cannot let Syria be dragged into a new spiral of instability. I would like to emphasize that Türkiye doesn't regard the territorial integrity, stability, and security of Syria, with which we share a 911-km border, as separate from our own. The Syrian people have had enough of suffering, persecution, and war. Those who intend to make our Syrian brothers and sister re-live these experiences should make their calculations accordingly. No one should misunderstand or misinterpret our calmness, our patience, and our stance in favor of dialogue in resolving issues. Our cool-headedness shouldn't mislead anyone into extremely erroneous aspirations.

We are a country that acts in foreign policy not with a hidden agenda but with principles. We aspire peace, prosperity, stability and security for all the peoples of the region as much sincerely as we do for our own citizens, without any distinction of race or religion. In preserving Syria's territorial integrity, we are in unity of understanding and close dialogue with all the influential actors in the region, including Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin. We will continue to decisively take all the necessary steps within the framework of this unity of understanding, our country's security formulations, and our agreements with the Syrian government."

"EUROPE'S SECURITY CANNOT BE CONSIDERED WITHOUT TÜRKİYE"

"Türkiye is located at the intersection of three continents. We are as much a European country as we are an Asian and African country. We strive to further our exceptional ties with all the peoples of these three continents, and to strengthen our good-neighborly relations. Through our Asia Anew initiative, we are increasing our political engagements and consultations with Asian countries day by day in parallel to Asia's rising position in global politics and economy. Likewise, our cooperation with Africa is expanding on a win-win basis through our African Partnership policy. We also continue our efforts for permanent stability in the Southern Caucasus. Working for the preservation of peace and stability in the East Mediterranean and the Aegean, we are endeavoring to maintain the positive atmosphere with our neighbor Greece. We closely follow the developments in the Balkans and continue our cooperation with the countries of the region. The brotherly countries in the Central Asia are increasingly consolidating their unique place in our foreign policy. The Organization of Turkic States, which has taken important steps for integration in recent years as a result of our country's intensive efforts, plays a critical role in the strengthening of our cooperation. We have increased our efforts for the recognition of the sovereign equality and equal international recognition of the Turkish Cypriot people. We will patiently continue these efforts until justice is delivered.

NATO, which is the foundation of Euro-Atlantic security, is one of the building blocks of Turkish foreign policy and our country's security. Amid the current debates on NATO's future as well as on the European security architecture, it has been understood once again that Europe's security cannot be considered without Türkiye. With the great strides it has made in defense industry in recent years, Türkiye, which commands the second largest land army within NATO, stands ready to take responsibility in the future for European security.

On the other hand, allegations and criticisms suggesting that Türkiye is drifting away from its EU goal are null and void in our view. Full membership to the European Union remains a strategic goal for our country. However, at times due to fears, at other times due to prejudices or due to actors who have taken the Union hostage from within, the European Union fails to demonstrate the necessary will to advance our EU membership process. To be more precise, some of the European countries today cannot display the farsightedness, courage and strategic vision that gave life to the European Union three-quarters of a century ago. If the European Union wants to overcome the existing challenges and to be represented in the restructuring global order in a manner it deserves, it should act accordingly and liberate itself from its burdens, with Türkiye gaining its seat in the Union as soon as possible. We are ready and determined to move forward with our membership process. We expect the European Union to take concrete steps as well."

"WE ATTACH GREAT IMPORTANCE TO OUR 100 BILLION DOLLAR TRADE TARGET WITH THE USA"

"There cannot be a strong foreign policy without a strong defense industry. As Türkiye, we owe our current self-confidence to our progress in defense industry, along with other steps we have taken. Achieving 80 percent domestic production rate in defense industry, we now can paddle our own canoe. We have moved far beyond meeting our own needs with our armed and unarmed unmanned aerial vehicles, vessels, helicopters, tanks, rockets, missiles and many other capabilities. While taking firm steps towards our 10 billion dollars target in annual exports in defense industry, we also continuously strengthen our cooperation with the friendly and brotherly countries.

We attach great importance to our 100 billion dollar trade target with our ally and strategic partner, the USA. I believe that in President Trump's second term, with the contribution of our close friendship, our relations with the United States will flourish in every area.

Our relations with the Russian Federation, with which we have a deep-rooted history, are strengthening day by day on a multi-dimensional basis. We are determined to expand our cooperation with Russia, with which we share a common geography, based on mutual interests and respect. Ending the Russia-Ukraine war, now in its fourth year, with a just and sustainable peace agreement continues to be our priority. We have taken many steps, including the Black Sea Grain Initiative, exchange of prisoners, and the Istanbul Process. We will inshallah maintain the balanced and proactive stance which we have preserved from the very beginning.

In the meantime, we will also strengthen our relations with our friends in Asia-Africa and Latin America. We are doing our best to ensure that the intensifying commercial competition over customs tariffs does not become destructive. With its economy that is resilient against shocks, Türkiye will not only overcome this process without any problems but will also be one of the winners of the new era."