In Türkiye last week, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s call to the European Union was at the top of the agenda. Another significant topic was the meeting between Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.
The 8th Ordinary Congress of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) also received extensive media coverage.
Erdoğan’s call to European Union
President Erdoğan delivered an address following the Cabinet meeting. He stated that issues of economy, foreign policy and security were discussed during the meeting.
Referring to his meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Erdoğan said:
“The visit of President Steinmeier to our country was meaningful for us. We held detailed consultations on many issues on our common agenda, including the fight against terrorism, irregular migration, visa problems of our citizens, the defense industry and matters concerning the Turkish community in Germany.”
Erdoğan also commented on the rise of right-wing tendencies in Europe, stating:
“Unfortunately, many recent elections have proven our concerns to be justified. Far-right movements have become key actors in European politics today. One of the main reasons for this is the failure of mainstream European politics to correctly interpret the spirit of the times as well as economic factors.”
Highlighting that liberal democracy, once the most appealing ideology of the past century, is now in deep crisis, Erdoğan noted that it has lost its former strength, prestige and influence. He argued that liberal democracy is failing to set a course for society, give meaning to politics or instill hope and confidence in people:
“Just like life, politics does not tolerate a vacuum. What we see in the West today is exactly this. As evident in recent elections, the void in European democracies is being filled by far-right demagogues. Furthermore, the West’s inconsistent stance on the genocide in Gaza for the past 471 days must also be considered. Western institutions and leaders have only watched as more than 61,000 civilians, mostly children and women, were massacred.”
Stating that Western values, once presented as a model to the world, have shown they do not serve a common good for humanity, Erdoğan emphasized:
“It is not possible for the loss of reputation and trust to be restored in a short period. In the face of this reality, our priority is to protect our national interests. Likewise, we attach great importance to the peace and well-being of our citizens who have lived in Europe for four to five generations.”
Erdoğan also stated that Türkiye wants to restore its relations with the European Union to their previous stage. Highlighting that developments in Syria and discussions surrounding the Ukraine war reaffirm Europe’s need for Türkiye, President Erdoğan said:
“Let me say this openly and clearly: Only Türkiye can rescue the European Union from the deadlock it faces in areas such as the economy, defense, politics and international reputation. The only way out is Türkiye’s full membership in the Union. Türkiye, with its dynamic economy and young population, is the lifeline that aging Europe needs. The sooner the EU faces this reality, the better it will be for them. As always, we are eager to advance our membership process with a constructive approach, based on mutual benefit and respect. If the necessary political will is shown, we can achieve results in a short time. However, for this to happen, the EU and the key countries shaping the Union must abandon their insistence on mistakes. We will all see how this process unfolds in the coming period.”
Expressing Türkiye’s broad diplomatic approach, Erdoğan stated: “As Türkiye, we will continue to maintain a 360-degree perspective, anchoring one foot in Ankara while embracing the entire world.” He emphasized that his recent visit to Southeast Asia demonstrated the success of Türkiye’s entrepreneurial, historically and culturally rooted, and humanitarian-focused foreign policy:
“Our visit, which included Malaysia, Indonesia, and Pakistan, rising stars of their regions with a combined population of nearly 650 million was highly productive. We signed a total of 48 agreements, strengthening our trade, economic, defense, cultural and humanitarian ties. We set new goals for foreign trade and decided to advance our defense industry cooperation, including joint production. It was truly touching to witness the warm welcome, affection, and overwhelming support from the people on the streets.”
Erdoğan also addressed the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, and his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky:
“As you know, last week we hosted President Zelensky in our country. Today, we welcomed Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. These visits are particularly significant at a time when diplomatic efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war are intensifying. Since the very first day of the conflict, we have worked tirelessly for peace, with the belief that there are no winners in war and no losers in peace.
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While nearly everyone was fueling the fire, we hosted direct negotiations between the two countries in Istanbul in March 2022. Thanks to our mediation efforts, we launched the Black Sea Grain Initiative, allowing 33,000 tons of grain to reach global markets through the Turkish straits. This prevented a global food crisis. Now, we see a new equation emerging. We view US President Trump’s willingness to end the war through negotiations as a positive step in principle. The idea of resolving the conflict at the negotiating table aligns with the policy Türkiye has followed for the past four years. However, it is crucial not to overlook one key reality.”
Emphasizing that the road to a fair and lasting peace can only be paved with an inclusive framework where all relevant parties are represented, President Erdoğan stated:
“Except for the Istanbul Process, all previous negotiation attempts excluded Russia, which is why they failed to achieve the desired outcome. If the new process is to yield results, Ukraine must be fully included, and this war must be ended through mutual negotiations. I have conveyed our fair stance on this issue to President Zelensky, French President Macron—whom I spoke with by phone yesterday—and to Minister Lavrov today. We are ready to provide any necessary support, including hosting negotiations, to ensure that this process leads to permanent peace. Our region has had enough of bloodshed, tears, and conflict. This war, which has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands and imposed heavy costs on both nations, must come to an end.”
Meeting between Fidan and Lavrov
Another important development last week was the meeting between Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Ankara. According to reports, the meeting focused on the situation in Ukraine, US-Russia talks and developments in West Asia, Syria and Gaza.
Following the meeting, a joint press conference was held. During the conference, Minister Fidan underscored Türkiye’s perspective on the Russia-Ukraine:
“We attach great importance to the new initiative of the US as a results-oriented approach. We believe a solution can only be reached through negotiations in which both sides participate. In this regard, we are ready to provide all necessary support, including hosting the talks, just as we have done before.”
Key points from Minister Fidan’s speech included:
Bilateral relations: “We discussed in detail the issues on our bilateral agenda and exchanged views on how we can advance our cooperation. With the contributions of our respective institutions, we are striving to further develop our multidimensional partnership in every field.”
War in Ukraine: “Today marks the third anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war. We sincerely hope that both of our neighbors can live in peace. This war has negatively impacted the region, particularly the Global South.”
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“As we enter the fourth year of the war, the US has launched an initiative aimed at ending the conflict through negotiations. This aligns with Türkiye’s policy since the war began. We attach great importance to this initiative as a results-oriented approach. We believe a solution can only be achieved through negotiations in which both sides are involved. We are ready to provide all necessary support, including hosting the talks, just as we have done before.”
Security in Black Sea: “We will continue our efforts to ensure maritime security in the Black Sea. If implemented, this step would serve as a crucial confidence-building measure. Our ultimate goal remains the establishment of lasting peace.”
Developments in Syria: “We believe that lasting peace can be established in our region. The developments in Syria over the past three months are promising in this regard. The Syrian people have ended a 60-year-old oppressive regime, and now they seek to become a stable country living in peace with its neighbors. As Türkiye, we will stand by the Syrian people during this process. We also discussed the situation in Syria with Minister Lavrov. We are fully committed to preserving Syria’s territorial integrity and unity. We share similar views on the necessity of preventing separatist movements. There can be no tolerance for terrorist organizations taking root in Syria. The international community must adopt a unified stance in the fight against ISIS and the PKK. At a time when positive steps are being taken toward resolving regional conflicts, we expect everyone to respect Türkiye’s security concerns.”
Gaza: “We are deeply concerned about the possibility of Netanyahu restarting the war. A new genocide must never be allowed. Israel must also halt its actions in the West Bank. Attempts to forcibly displace Palestinians from their lands are unacceptable and doomed to fail. Regional countries share a common stance on this matter, and we are pleased to see that Russia shares our view. The international community must take a firm stand against Israel’s aggression. This is the only way to establish lasting peace and security in the Middle East.”
At the press conference, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov shared his assessment of his meeting with Minister Fidan. Key points from Lavrov’s speech included:
“Minister Fidan and I held extensive discussions for hours, covering both bilateral and international issues. Our last meeting took place just a few days ago during the G20 summit in Johannesburg. We welcome parliamentary-level discussions as well. Last year, the Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, Mr. Kurtulmuş, visited Russia.
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We also discussed key topics related to the development of our bilateral trade relations. Energy, finance, industrial cooperation, logistics, and tourism were among the areas we covered.”
Lavrov also addressed the status of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, saying: “We held discussions regarding the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant. Our teams are continuing their work side by side to ensure the reactors become operational as quickly as possible.”
Lavrov also touched upon Türkiye-Russia cooperation in the energy sector, particularly the security of the TurkStream pipeline, stating:
“We discussed the security of TurkStream and Blue Stream. The Kyiv regime has attempted terrorist attacks to disable these pipelines. Ensuring their security is crucial for Türkiye. The continued operation of these pipelines is essential. The flow of our natural gas through Türkiye is of great importance not only for strengthening Türkiye’s energy sector but also for the final consumers. We have briefed our Turkish partners on these matters.”
Lavrov stated that Russia had informed Türkiye about the ongoing talks between Russian and American delegations. He said:
“We briefed our Turkish counterparts about the Russia-US negotiations. I shared the outcome of the Riyadh meeting with Minister Fidan. Despite the many disagreements that remain, at least a normal dialogue has been established. Whether we will be able to resolve these disagreements or not remains to be seen, but we will continue these talks with our American partners. Minister Fidan and I discussed international matters in great detail. Our position on Ukraine remains unchanged. At the same time, we are pleased to see that more realistic approaches are emerging, and many countries are understanding our stance. Without addressing the root causes of this war, a long-term and lasting peace cannot be achieved.”
During the Q&A session of the press conference, Minister Fidan was asked whether Türkiye could play a mediating role between Russia and Ukraine. He responded:
“Our President is highly sensitive to ending the war in Ukraine. We are closely following the discussions on security guarantees that have recently been on the agenda in the US-Russia talks. In principle, Türkiye is ready to take any steps that contribute to peace. Once the composition of this process becomes clear, our President will share his views accordingly. Türkiye is always prepared to take on any facilitating role. There are also matters that have not been shared with the public. Our goal is to stop this devastating war as soon as possible.”
Lavrov was also asked about Türkiye’s potential contribution to US-Russia discussions. He responded:
“It is difficult to understand European countries, as their opinions shift frequently. The US, however, maintains a consistent stance. They do not say, ‘Let’s establish a contact line first, then we’ll talk.’ We discussed these issues in Istanbul in April 2022, and we actually reached an agreement. Ukraine itself proposed those principles to us. They asked us to withdraw our troops, and we did. But in the end, the West, specifically former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, intervened and prevented Ukraine from signing the agreement. Instead, they continued their efforts to weaken Russia.
We do not consider certain recommendations from the other side. However, we are open to negotiations with Ukraine, Europe and anyone who approaches us in good faith. This conflict will only end when we reach a definitive solution that satisfies Russia. Of course, realities on the ground must also be taken into account. Ukraine’s exclusion from NATO is crucial. This issue was also discussed in Riyadh. The attempt to bring Ukraine into NATO was one of the primary causes of this war. In the security guarantees negotiated in Istanbul, the details of how this would be structured were clearly outlined. Ukraine itself had agreed not to join any military bloc.”
Also Hakan Fidan was asked about BRICS. He responded:
“As a sovereign country, Türkiye places great importance on economic and political cooperation. In today’s world, countries that have not established strong economic partnerships are more vulnerable to economic crises and struggle to achieve their development goals. For decades, we have pursued EU membership, but in recent years, our accession process has been frozen primarily due to the EU’s reluctance to integrate a Muslim-majority country. No one states this openly, but that is the reality. Nevertheless, we maintain balanced relations with European countries while also closely following other global cooperation mechanisms, one of which is BRICS. However, BRICS has currently suspended new memberships to focus on institutional development. A different classification has been introduced, and at this stage, we have not received any membership offer.”
Answering a question about relations with Damascus and Russia’s military presence in Syria, Lavrov stated:
“Questions regarding US bases in Syria should be directed to the Syrian government, or rather, the Syrian people themselves. Before the change in government, American soldiers were actively present in Syria. They were there without a legitimate invitation, occupying the most fertile lands, illegally selling resources, and seizing the wealth that belonged to the Syrian people. Their main objective was to support Kurdish separatists through the structures they established in the northeast. How the Syrian government perceives this situation is crucial. Ultimately, any preparatory efforts must lead to a parliamentary process where the entire Syrian population is represented. If we see a positive orientation in this regard, Russia will definitely respond positively as well.”
AKP’s 8th ordinary congress
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) held its 8th Ordinary Congress at Ankara Sports Hall to elect the party’s new leadership. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who also serves as the party’s chairman, delivered a speech in which he emphasized that the party was entering a new era.
During the congress, the candidate list for the party’s leadership was read aloud to the delegates. President Erdoğan was nominated as the sole candidate for the party chairmanship. The list also included candidates for the Central Decision and Executive Board, the Central Disciplinary Board, the Internal Party Democracy Arbitration Board and the Political Virtue and Ethics Board.
Following the reading of the list, voting commenced for the party chairmanship and executive bodies. After the voting process, members of the Central Decision and Executive Board (MKYK) and the Central Disciplinary Board were elected.
Accompanied by his wife Emine Erdoğan, President Erdoğan cast his vote. After voting, he greeted party members in the hall.
Congress Chairman Abdullah Güler announced that 1,547 out of 1,607 delegates had cast their votes and all votes were valid.
Güler declared that Erdoğan had been reelected as AKP Chairman receiving all 1,547 votes.