Africa has special place in the heart of the Turkish nation - President Erdogan

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made a speech at the Closing Ceremony of the 4th Türkiye-Africa Business and Economic Forum at Istanbul Congress Center.

“AFRICA HAS A SPECIAL PLACE IN THE TURKISH NATION’S HEART”

Stressing that Türkiye has worked to advance its relations with Africa on the basis of equal partnership and win-win principle, President Erdoğan stated that Africa has a special place in the Turkish nation’s heart as well as in the country’s foreign policy.

Noting that he paid more than 50 visits to Africa during his terms in office as Prime Minister and as President, President Erdoğan stated that Türkiye has increased the number of its embassies in Africa to 44.

“We are proud to be hosting 38 African embassies in Ankara. The number of our commercial counsellors will reach 31. We have established business councils with 48 countries. The number of countries with which we have agreements on the mutual promotion and protection of investments has increased to 32.

"We are glad to see that our relations with Africa in every area from trade to investments to culture and education are strengthening day by day. We are of the opinion that the African continent’s free trade zone will offer major opportunities for trade and investments in the days ahead.”

“WE VIEW AFRICA’S SUCCESS AS OUR OWN SUCCESS”

Stressing that Türkiye views Africa’s success as its own success, President Erdoğan said: “We fully supported the African Union’s G20 membership since the very beginning.

"Accordingly, we welcomed the African Union’s admission as a member during the recent G20 Summit in New Delhi. I congratulate the President of the Comoros, my treasured brother Azali Assoumani on this significant membership, which materialized during his term presidency.

"Rest assured that we will continue to provide every kind of contribution in order for the African continent to take its rightful place in the global system.”

“WE HAVE PREVENTED THE FOOD CRISIS FROM GETTING WORSE WITH THE BLACK SEA INITIATIVE”

Noting that saddening incidents are unfortunately taking place at a global and regional scale, President Erdoğan said: “I attach importance to the initiative launched by some African leaders to stop the war between Ukraine and Russia through peaceful means.

"We also have been working for peace since the outset of the war. We have prevented the food crisis from getting worse with the Black Sea initiative. We enabled the safe passage of 33 million tons of grain through our straits during the period when the initiative was operational.

"However, we are aware that our African brothers and sisters couldn’t benefit from the grain to the extent we desired despite all our sincere efforts. We conveyed our annoyance on this issue to our counterparts on numerous occasions.”

Noting that old colonial habits manifested themselves on this issue as well, President Erdoğan stated: “The problems endured by our African brothers and sisters have not been taken into consideration enough by rich western countries. We particularly attach importance to the fairer and more effective distribution of grain among African countries.

"We know that some African countries’ concerns increased because the Black Sea Initiative was not extended. During our talks with President of Russia Mr. Putin, we discussed and continue to discuss what can be done to address these concerns.

"Our talks continue in a bid to send 1 million tons of grain to the continent in the first phase. I believe these efforts will inshallah yield positive outcomes.”

“PUNISHING THE GAZAN PEOPLE COLLECTIVELY WILL CAUSE MORE SUFFERING”

Commenting on the Israel-Palestine conflict, President Erdoğan stated: “While we were already experiencing the negative impacts of the Russia-Ukraine war, the incidents unfolding between Israel and Palestine have deeply shaken us all. We are worried about the possibility of the tension to further aggravate and spread to the region.”

President Erdoğan stated: “We say it openly that we never have and never will approve of such attacks as the bombing of mosques, hospitals and civilian settlements. It is evident that the blockade, which worsens the humanitarian situation in Gaza, renders the region open and susceptible to provocations. Cutting off the electricity, water, fuel and food of 2 million people squeezed into 360 square kilometers amounts to a violation of the most basic human rights. Punishing the Gazan people collectively will only exacerbate the problem, causing more suffering, more tensions, and more tears.”

Stressing that the Israeli administration should allow the passage of humanitarian aid through the Rafah border crossing, President Erdoğan noted: “We sent a humanitarian aid plane to El Arish Airport this morning, which contains medicine, durable food, canned goods, diapers, and medical supplies. Our plane, which has been carrying first aid cargo to the region since the conflict started, has landed at the airport at noon today.”

“WE WILL DELIVER OUR HUMANITARIAN AID TO GAZA IN CLOSE COOPERATION WITH EGYPTIAN AUTHORITIES”

Drawing attention to the ongoing preparations by the AFAD to send more aid supplies to the region, President Erdoğan said: “While we are doing these, while the United Arab Emirates is doing these, while Qatar is sending aid, while Saudi Arabia is doing these, we see that America is speaking of dispatching an aircraft carrier, England is speaking of dispatching an aircraft carrier here. Do these have a place in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?”

Commenting on the incidents unfolding in Gaza, President Erdoğan stated: “Right now, Gaza is being annihilated, including its women, children and mothers. No one cares about this. But we do. If you have even the slightest respect for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, take no offense but everyone needs to seek ways to help here. They should rather talk about this. Yet, this is not what they care about.”

President Erdoğan added: “We will continue to send humanitarian aid to Gaza in close cooperation with the brotherly Egyptian authorities. At a time when millions of people face hunger, cutting off the humanitarian aid to the Palestinians has been inscribed as a new disgrace in the faces of those who have taken this decision.”

Calling on all the sides to first negotiate a ceasefire and then a permanent peace by acting with common sense, President Erdoğan said: “My Foreign Minister is now on his way to Egypt. Both myself, my Foreign Minister, and my MIT Director continue their talks in an intensive manner for the release of hostages and to find a solution to the crisis. However, some actors’ provocative attitudes, adding fuel to the fire instead of trying to restore peace, both undermine our efforts and further deepen the crisis.”

“WE ARE DETERMINED TO ELIMINATE THE TERROR THREAT AGAINST OUR COUNTRY AT ITS SOURCE”

Stressing that Gaza is now a victim and that it is being oppressed but that Israel is not in a position of being a victim or being oppressed, President Erdoğan pointed out that the U.S. deployment of aircraft carriers to the region doesn’t contribute at all to peace, calm, dialogue and diplomacy or to reducing the tension between the sides.

Criticizing the U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken over his remarks that he approaches Israel not as a foreign minister but as a Jewish, President Erdoğan stated: “What kind of politician is this? What kind of approach is this? Then if someone says I’m approaching the region as a Muslim, what will you say? We don’t make any discrimination like there are Turks and there is this and that… You should approach everyone as a human.”

Touching upon U.S. President Joe Biden’s comments on Syria, President Erdoğan said: “Actually, the approach reflected by the statement the U.S. President made yesterday on Syria is the same stance we voice regarding their activities in the region. That is to say, the activities the U.S. carries out in Syria in collaboration with the extensions of the PKK pose an extraordinary threat to Türkiye’s national security. Are we not together with the U.S. at NATO? Yes, we are. Yet, has the U.S. downed our UAV? Yes, it has. Then, how come we are together with you at NATO! How can you do something like this? We have a security problem between us. The statement in question is not only incompatible with the spirit of alliance and strategic partnership, but also encourages terrorist organizations striving to split Syria. We are determined to eliminate the terror threat against our country at its source, regardless of who stands behind the terrorist organization.”

President Erdoğan further stressed: “As the only NATO ally that engaged in close combat with DAESH and defeated this terrorist organization at the cost of giving martyrs, it is just with a bitter smile that we watch this play enacted against us. We will leave the actors of this play alone with their own scenarios and continue to take the steps required by our own national security.”

“PEACE WILL BE ELUSIVE IN THE REGION WITHOUT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INDEPENDENT STATE OF PALESTINE”

President Erdoğan underlined that the recent incidents have once again shown that peace will be elusive in the region without the establishment of an independent, sovereign and geographically integrated State of Palestine within the 1967 borders, with East Al-Quds as its capital.

President Erdoğan added that he has no doubts whatsoever that Türkiye’s African friends, who have been subjected to oppression, exploitation and invasion throughout centuries, will do whatever is necessary for the establishment of a State of Palestine within the 1967 borders.

“WE WANT THE ONGOING INFIGHTING IN SUDAN TO STOP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE”

Noting that along with positive developments, Africa also witnesses saddening incidents, President Erdoğan said: “We want the ongoing infighting in Sudan to stop as soon as possible and the crisis to be settled peacefully. We will continue our humanitarian aid to alleviate the Sudanese people’s suffering. It is true that the Sahel region faces significant political, economic, social and security challenges. We wish that Niger, which has been going through difficult times recently, may achieve constitutional order and democratic administration as soon as possible. We hope the ongoing efforts for a peaceful settlement to be successful. Any military intervention into Niger might drag both this country and the entire region into a deep instability. We think it is important to preserve peace and stability in Gabon.”

“TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS BOKO HARAM, AL SHABAB AND DAESH ARE OUR COMMON ENEMY”

Pointing out that the sacred struggle which Türkiye wages with the motto, the World is bigger than 5, is not only for Türkiye’s benefit but also for the benefit of its African brothers and sisters, President Erdoğan stressed that the recent incidents have once again demonstrated that it is a mistake to leave the fate of the whole humanity to the mercy of the UN Security Council’s five members.

It is a grave injustice that the 1.5 million-population African continent doesn’t have a say in the UN Security Council, President Erdoğan said: “We should join forces in order for Africa to be represented at the Security Council in a manner it deserves.

"As a country that has been fighting the separatist terrorist organization for nearly 40 years, we know well the security challenges faced by our African brothers and sisters.

"Terrorist organizations such as Boko Haram, Al Shabab and DAESH are not only a few countries’ problem, but are the common enemy of all of us. In our view, there is no difference between FETO and PKK and these terrorist organizations that claim the lives of innocent Africans.

"I once again offer my gratitude to all of our friends who support our fight against FETO, forbidding these terrorists’ activities and shutting down or handing over to our Maarif Foundation the so-called educational institutions affiliated with this organization.”