Turkey's Erdoğan slams some EU leaders for encouraging Islamophobia
Harshly criticizing some EU leaders for encouraging Islamophobia by turning a blind eye to the discrimination against European Muslims, Erdoğan on Monday stressed in the televised speech: "A worldwide struggle against Islamophobia is urgently needed to fulfill our responsibilities for Muslims and the Islamic faith."
- World
- Agencies and A News
- Published Date: 04:37 | 09 November 2020
- Modified Date: 08:44 | 09 November 2020
Speaking during the 12th Ambassador Conference held in the capital Ankara on Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan slammed some EU leaders for encouraging Islamophobia by turning a blind eye to the discrimination against European Muslims.
"A worldwide struggle against Islamophobia is urgently needed to fulfill our responsibilities for Muslims and the Islamic faith," the Turkish leader stressed in his speech as calling for global efforts to combat anti-Islamic discourses and acts.
The Turkish leader said that rise of Islamophobia and xenophobia has transformed into an existential threat for millions of Turkish people residing abroad as their mosques, schools, and shops are targeted on a regular basis.
Erdoğan also pointed out that such a hostile discourse against Islamic values has been even adopted at the presidential level in some countries.
The president added that it is hard for his country to understand how foreign terrorist fighters Turkey deported could freely walk in Western countries and hold activities.
Among the topics Erdoğan touched upon were developments in conflict-zones, including Syria where millions were displaced and hundreds of thousands were slaughtered following eruption of a civil war in 2011.
The president said Turkish operations in northern Syria ensured safe return of some 411,000 Syrians as Ankara's military operations cleared the region from YPG/PKK and Daesh/ISIS terrorists.
"We thwarted a new humanitarian tragedy and huge migration influx with our presence in Idlib [province of northwestern Syria]," the president said, adding that Turkey welcomed 4.5 million refugees.
The Turkish leader criticized some countries, without naming any, for not extending a helping hand -- despite their prosperity -- to war-weary Syrians while Turkey did not hesitate to help them in line with its humanitarian approach.
Erdoğan noted that Turkey also continued its efforts to ensure Syria's territorial integrity and political union.
Commenting on developments in Libya, where the administration fights militants affiliated with warlord Khalifa Haftar, Erdoğan said Turkey's support to the country on the request of the Libyan government prevented a possible civil war and fall of the capital Tripoli.
Asserting that Turkey's contributions paved the way for hopes of a political solution in Libya, Erdoğan said: "We will continue to be with the Libyan people in all fields, including training, military cooperation, energy, health, trade, and economy.
Referring to the developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, Erdoğan said Turkey could not allow anyone to ignore legitimate Turkish rights in the region.
We have always been patient and calm regarding the Eastern Mediterranean issue despite provocations of Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration, Erdoğan said, adding Turkey was always open for negotiations as his country was confident that it was in a righteous position.
The Turkish leader also called on the EU to abandon its "strategic blindness," which he said was pushing Ankara away from the EU and reiterated his call for organizing a multinational conference including all littoral countries along with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean to resolve the dispute. He further noted that Turkey was encouraged by the discovery of 405 billion cubic meters of natural gas in the Black Sea region and hopeful for new discoveries in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The president also said the Turkish administration could not remain silent while Azerbaijan's territories were under occupation as both countries were bonded by blood whereas the MINSK trio -- the US, France and Russia -- had not produced a concrete approach regarding the decades-long conflict.
Fed up with the trio's stalling efforts, Azerbaijan took the matter into its own hands and stepped into action, according to Erdoğan, who welcomed Baku's liberation of territories in Nagorno-Karabakh.
"A worldwide struggle against Islamophobia is urgently needed to fulfill our responsibilities for Muslims and the Islamic faith," the Turkish leader stressed in his speech as calling for global efforts to combat anti-Islamic discourses and acts.
The Turkish leader said that rise of Islamophobia and xenophobia has transformed into an existential threat for millions of Turkish people residing abroad as their mosques, schools, and shops are targeted on a regular basis.
Erdoğan also pointed out that such a hostile discourse against Islamic values has been even adopted at the presidential level in some countries.
The president added that it is hard for his country to understand how foreign terrorist fighters Turkey deported could freely walk in Western countries and hold activities.
Among the topics Erdoğan touched upon were developments in conflict-zones, including Syria where millions were displaced and hundreds of thousands were slaughtered following eruption of a civil war in 2011.
The president said Turkish operations in northern Syria ensured safe return of some 411,000 Syrians as Ankara's military operations cleared the region from YPG/PKK and Daesh/ISIS terrorists.
"We thwarted a new humanitarian tragedy and huge migration influx with our presence in Idlib [province of northwestern Syria]," the president said, adding that Turkey welcomed 4.5 million refugees.
The Turkish leader criticized some countries, without naming any, for not extending a helping hand -- despite their prosperity -- to war-weary Syrians while Turkey did not hesitate to help them in line with its humanitarian approach.
Erdoğan noted that Turkey also continued its efforts to ensure Syria's territorial integrity and political union.
Commenting on developments in Libya, where the administration fights militants affiliated with warlord Khalifa Haftar, Erdoğan said Turkey's support to the country on the request of the Libyan government prevented a possible civil war and fall of the capital Tripoli.
Asserting that Turkey's contributions paved the way for hopes of a political solution in Libya, Erdoğan said: "We will continue to be with the Libyan people in all fields, including training, military cooperation, energy, health, trade, and economy.
Referring to the developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, Erdoğan said Turkey could not allow anyone to ignore legitimate Turkish rights in the region.
We have always been patient and calm regarding the Eastern Mediterranean issue despite provocations of Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration, Erdoğan said, adding Turkey was always open for negotiations as his country was confident that it was in a righteous position.
The Turkish leader also called on the EU to abandon its "strategic blindness," which he said was pushing Ankara away from the EU and reiterated his call for organizing a multinational conference including all littoral countries along with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean to resolve the dispute. He further noted that Turkey was encouraged by the discovery of 405 billion cubic meters of natural gas in the Black Sea region and hopeful for new discoveries in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The president also said the Turkish administration could not remain silent while Azerbaijan's territories were under occupation as both countries were bonded by blood whereas the MINSK trio -- the US, France and Russia -- had not produced a concrete approach regarding the decades-long conflict.
Fed up with the trio's stalling efforts, Azerbaijan took the matter into its own hands and stepped into action, according to Erdoğan, who welcomed Baku's liberation of territories in Nagorno-Karabakh.
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