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President Erdoğan Addresses ‘Balkan Countries Chiefs of Defense Conference’
Speaking at the 10th of the Balkan Countries Chiefs of Defense Conference, President Erdoğan said: “The Syrian issue, which is no more a local, or even a regional problem, has turned into a global threat with its consequences and implications.”
Attending the 10[SUP]th[/SUP] of the Balkan Countries Chiefs of Defense Conference, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered the opening speech of the conference, which was also attended by Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar and chiefs of defense of Balkan counties along with NATO representatives
“THE BALKANS AND CAUCASUS: FOCAL POINT OF POWER STRUGGLE”
Commencing his address by expressing his pleasure for hosting NATO representatives and the chiefs of defense of friendly and brotherly Balkan countries, with which Turkey shares a common history, geography and destiny, President Erdoğan emphasised that the date of the conference coincides with a critical period of regional and global developments.
Pointing out that the Euro-Atlantic region is currently faced with the gravest challenges and the most serious uncertainty of the post-Cold War era, President Erdoğan said that such a large scale breaking has last taken place during the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991. The geography that covers both Turkey and Balkan countries experienced first-hand the Cold War and the incidents following it, President Erdoğan underlined, adding: “The focal point of the almost half-century power struggle was the Middle East and the Balkans. Removal of the walls has revived hopes and raised expectations for peace and stability. The termination of the half-century tension has delighted our brothers in the Caucasus and the Balkans most, who, having been robbed of their freedoms, had been condemned to uniformist and authoritarian administrations for years.”
“MIGRATION CRISIS AND TERROR MENACE”
Stressing that today international organizations haven’t learned the necessary lesson from the crises of the 1990s, President Erdoğan said: “Organizations that should be an insurance for global security and stability are being dragged into internal conflicts and vicious political calculations, and thus they are being worn down. Crises and clashes in various regions, primarily incidents in our neighbour Syria, are the most visible and concrete manifestation of this. No step has been taken regarding Syria over the past six years although all the red lines have been overstepped and almost 600 thousand people have been killed. No promising development takes place with regard to Yemen, Iraq and Ukraine, either. Migration crisis and terror menace are increasingly hitting more and more people and countries, let alone come to an end. The Syrian issue, which is no more a local, or even a regional problem, has turned into a global threat with its consequences and implications. We know that the Balkan countries, like Turkey, are also under a very heavy burden and faced with very serious costs regarding the issue.”
“THE MONEY SPENT FOR REFUGEES HAS REACHED $20 BILLION”
Underlining that Turkey, from the first day, has been exerting strenuous efforts to find a permanent solution to this problem and to establish security and peace both in Turkey and Syria as well as the entire region, President Erdoğan noted that Turkey, displaying an unprecedented example of hospitality, accommodates 3 million Syrians and Iraqis who have fled the war and oppression. President Erdoğan further stated that Turkey has spent over $10 billion of money from its national budget as registered, and that this amount has reaches $20 billion with the additional spending by NGOs and municipalities. Turkey hasn’t done all these in expectation of any monetary aid from Europe, the international community or the UN Refugee Agency, President Erdoğan emphasised.
“THE AID FROM THE UN AMOUNTS TO $450 MILLION”
Pointing out that Turkey hasn’t closed its gates to the war victims coming from Iraq and Syria and hasn’t directed its security forces at these victims, President Erdoğan said: “We have opened our gates because we believe that closing our gates to these people who flee strikes and barrel bombs would be cruel. Currently we are meeting their all kind of needs including food, clothing, healthcare and education. However, let me underscore that, the EU has not provided any significant direct aid to us in spite of its 3 billion euro promise in aid. We don’t demand a support for our national budget. However, the West is still not aware of the situation and the aid the UN has provided to us so far amounts to around $450 million. Our official spending has surpassed $10 billion. We should see these facts once again. We haven’t made any calculation while meeting these people’s needs and carrying out our humanitarian responsibilities.”
FIGHT AGAINST DAESH
Touching upon the anti-Daesh efforts in his address, President Erdoğan said: “While the countries of origin don’t take any step in the fight against Daesh and refuse to share intelligence, Turkey is expected to shoulder all the burden on its own. During this process, we have also had to struggle with unfair, cruel and unfounded allegations. This situation cannot persist forever. Take no offense, but there were even those who behaved viciously by trying to display Turkey as a country helping Daesh. Currently no country in the world puts up a fight against Daesh as we do. No country has suffered the losses in the face of Daesh as we have. While we sustained these losses, we also inflicted very serious losses on Daesh, as well. The number of losses Daesh has suffered so far as a result of our fight against it has reached 3 thousand only in Syria and Iraq. How can a country that undertakes such a struggle lend support to Daesh? Is such an approach acceptable or understandable? On the other hand, we know well to which countries the weapons Daesh owns belong. Yet, when I warn many of our friends that ‘You are doing wrong. Don’t land these planes on these places!’ they respond that ‘So and so place is falling, so we have to land [planes.]’ Unfortunately half of the help they have dispatched have gone to the Daesh while the other half to the PYD. I am telling these openly since I, myself, discussed these issues with them on phone.”
“WE ARE DETERMINED TO TAKE STEPS TO PREVENT TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS FROM USING OUR BORDER AS A SAFE HAVEN”
As long as a settlement to the issue is not reached on the basis of Syrian people’s legitimate demands, peace cannot be restored neither in the region nor other geographies, President Erdoğan underlined, and he further stated: “We are determined to take required steps to prevent terrorist organizations from using other side of our border as a safe haven, and thus to ensure the safety of our own citizens.”
Stressing that Turkey holds an inclusionary and embracing approach towards the Balkans and that security concerns of any country in the region cannot be eliminated at the expense of another country, President Erdoğan stated that the initiative Turkey has undertaken with an aim to strengthen the South-Eastern Europe Brigade is an important step that would serve the common interest of all countries in the region.
INTEGRATION OF BALKAN COUNTRIES WITH EURO-ATLANTIC INSTITUTIONS
Underscoring the increasing importance of the NATO Summit, scheduled to be held in Warsaw on 8-9 July 2016, for bolstering the collective defense and deterrence capacity of the alliance, President Erdoğan continued: “In terms of building security in the Balkans on reliable bases, it is important for Sarajevo and Skopje to complete their membership process as soon as possible, as Podgorica did. I hereby reaffirm our support for the Balkan Countries’ integration process with Euro-Atlantic institutions, particularly the NATO, EU and OSCE. I would like to reemphasize that we will continue our contributions to your efforts of capacity building under the NATO, as well. We should transform the Black Sea into a basin of stability again on the basis of cooperation among riparian countries around the Black Sea. A short while ago Stoltenberg was in Turkey. During his visit I told him: ‘You are not visible in the Black Sea. And your invisibility in the Black Sea turns it into a Russian lake, so to speak.’ As riparian countries we should live up to our responsibilities. As NATO members, we should take all required steps in all spheres, including the sea, air and ground. Otherwise, the history shall not forgive us. And we should also deepen our existing cooperation in accordance with an approach of regional inclusiveness. I would like to express that we will keep sharing our proposals on this issue with riparian countries of the Black Sea in coming days.”
Thanking all participants and contributors of the conference, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ended his address by wishing the conference to contribute to the peace and stability in the Balkan countries.
https://www.tccb.gov.tr/en/news/542...erin-asilmasina-ragmen-bir-adim-atilmadi.html