President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered remarks at the 16th Ambassadors Conference, held at the Beştepe Nation's Exhibition Hall on Tuesday.
"Türkiye has 'no choice but to be strong,' both to defend its own interests and 'extend a helping hand to its Muslim and oppressed brothers,' Erdoğan stressed in his address while speaking to the dozens of ambassadors in the capital Ankara.
Here are the following keynotes from President Erdoğan's televised speech:
In Rwanda, around 800,000 people were subjected to genocide within approximately 100 days. In Bosnia, shameful massacres took place. In Iraq, Rakhine (Arakan), Somalia, and many other parts of the world, millions of innocent people lost their lives due to conflicts and civil wars. This system—which protects the strong even when they are unjust and crushes the oppressed even when they are right—has produced injustice and instability.
In Gaza, more than 70,000 people have been killed. No one knows how many bodies remain under the rubble. Children have become witnesses to genocide. Before the genocide, the population was around 2.3 million. Yet more than 200,000 tons of bombs were dropped on such a densely populated area. Reconstruction in Gaza must begin.
The number of people who have returned to Syria has reached 580,000. A historic window of opportunity has opened before Syria. Significant progress has been made in a short time regarding Syria's integration into the international community.
We are providing the necessary guidance for the implementation of the March 10 Agreement. It is clear who would benefit from Syria being destabilized.
Within the context of the Russia–Ukraine war, we brought the two countries together three times. The humanitarian gains achieved as a result of the Istanbul Process constitute a notable success for Turkish diplomacy. In addition to the Istanbul Process, we have led many initiatives within the framework of the Ukraine war—such as the Black Sea Grain Initiative and prisoner exchanges—achieving tangible humanitarian results.
By meticulously implementing the Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits, we prevented the war from spreading to the Black Sea. However, the recent reciprocal attacks seriously threaten maritime navigation safety in the Black Sea. Targeting commercial and civilian vessels benefits no one. We are clearly conveying our warnings on this matter to both sides.
The South Caucasus, which has long yearned for peace, is now going through a historic period. Azerbaijan and Armenia are closer than ever to signing a peace agreement. While remaining in dialogue with Azerbaijan, we are also advancing the normalization process with Armenia. God willing, some symbolic steps will be taken starting early next year."
