Breaking News: Message from Erdoğan on F-16s and F-35s! He makes a call to Trump

AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan answered journalists' questions on the plane returning from his visit to Azerbaijan.

Speaking about the compensation lawsuits he filed against CHP leader Özgür Özel, Erdoğan stated, "You have probably heard about the lawsuit we filed against what Özgür Özel did. The lawsuit has been filed now. My lawyers, thank God, are following their work well. Most recently, we won 200 thousand lira in compensation from a lawsuit during this period. That will also find its place. It will go to foundations. Hopefully, if we win this 500 thousand as well, it will be much better. Winning these lawsuits without getting tired or weary is truly appropriate."

Erdoğan continued as follows:

"I would also like to express that the words spoken, the sentences constructed, and the accusations made by the CHP Chairman are actually just a description of their own situation. It is a continuation of the habit of feeding on crises, hoping for chaos, and trying to make the agenda by inciting fights. This language befits neither our state tradition nor the dignity of our nation. We will never descend to this level that the CHP is trying to drag us into, we cannot descend. We can never justify descending to this level to ourselves, nor can we explain it to our nation."

Erdoğan also noted the following regarding the F-16 and F-35 issue:

"First of all, thank God, things are going well regarding the Eurofighter. We have taken positive steps regarding the Eurofighter with both the UK and Germany. But besides that, we have also had some meetings with Qatar and Oman. Perhaps it may be the case that we could also purchase the Eurofighters they have. If we can conclude these agreements, God willing, good developments will emerge for our country. In addition to these, with the defense industry steps we have taken in our country, Turkey will capture great opportunities. The meetings to be held at the technical level and the progress to be made are important. Of course, there is also the F-16 and F-35 issue. We have taken positive steps regarding the F-35 in our recent meetings with US President Mr. Trump. I hope that the promises made will be fulfilled and that we will, God willing, possess a powerful capability with the F-35s."

STATEMENT ON DEVLET BAHÇELİ

When asked by a journalist, "When is the meeting with MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli?", Erdoğan replied, "Let me not give a date, but God willing, with our return to Ankara this week, if we establish contact with the Chairman and make an appointment, I will either pay him a visit or invite him. We will ensure they visit us. There is no problem between us anyway. As you know, we are in Ankara on November 10, Monday. As soon as we return, we will establish our contacts and take the step."

The question and answer part of the interview that took place on the plane is as follows:

QUESTION - What was the most critical point of the support Turkey provided in the fifth year of the Karabakh war, and what was the turning point in your opinion? Will this support set a precedent for the member countries of the Organization of Turkic States?

"First of all, the Karabakh victory is not only a victory for Azerbaijan but for the Turkic world. With the spirit of “two states, one nation,” as I expressed in my speech at the parade today, we are continuing a step, a life here that will make this understanding permanent. That day, we told both friend and foe that “Turkey stands with Azerbaijan until the end”; we expressed that we were with Azerbaijan before we even took the first step. Turkish UAVs, systems produced with the sweat of our engineers, have become symbols of Turkish intellect, Turkish will, and Turkish courage. After the victory, winds of peace are blowing in the region, and as Turkey, we are pleased with this. We are also conducting the normalization process with Armenia in synchronization with Azerbaijan. While doing this, we also tell our interlocutors that we will never allow Azerbaijan's rights here to be harmed. Currently, under the leadership of my brother Ilham Aliyev, there is a massive development move in Karabakh. Roads, tunnels, agricultural projects, and houses are rising one after another all over Karabakh. We are also making the necessary contribution to Azerbaijan in this process. Especially in terms of infrastructure and superstructure, Azerbaijan is experiencing a process of change and transformation. As a political leader who has followed this place closely, both during the late Heydar Aliyev period and after Ilham Bey took office, I know very well what happened, where, and when. It is absolutely impossible to ignore this success of Ilham Bey. Therefore, I congratulate him and his team."

QUESTION - There are still some difficulties regarding the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Our hope is that it will be resolved as soon as possible. Winter is coming, the housing problem is huge. NGOs have campaigns. Is a major nationwide aid campaign to be carried out by our state on the agenda? What is the status of the work on this?

"Currently, Turkey is a country that continues to provide the highest level of aid to Gaza and is providing aid. Our nation is truly very sensitive about this issue. As you know, our 17th ship of kindness has reached El-Arish. However, aid corridors are being deliberately blocked, and unfortunately, the delivery of humanitarian aid to the region is being prevented. 600 trucks of humanitarian aid were to be allowed to enter daily, but even this promise, which they gave, is not being fulfilled. We are making intense efforts to deliver the trusts of our nation to our Palestinian brothers. We are also discussing and developing plans for this issue in our contacts with our friends and brothers. The shipment of materials that Gaza urgently needs to the region is very, very important to us. This issue is not just a matter of aid, but also a matter of humanity. We are following this closely. In particular, food, medicine, shelter materials, health equipment, clothing, and hygiene products have been shipped to date, and our efforts continue. We will continue to ship these in the coming period as well."

QUESTION - At this moment, what is the stage of returns in Syria, sir? Also, there are Syrians in Turkey who are qualified personnel. Are there any studies to keep these qualified refugees, for example in industry or different sectors? I was in the earthquake zone, Hatay, on Tuesday. The structures are very well completed, they will be finished. Our Minister Murat Kurum said, ‘We will have 220 thousand containers at our disposal.’ Since these 220 thousand containers will become available, will Turkey send them to Syria or Gaza? Do you have such a study?

"The issue of refugees was one of the most exploited topics in Turkey. Especially the CHP exploited this issue very, very much. In the last election, the CHP and its presidential candidate ran a racist campaign that went down in history with shame. As a result of this racist campaign, the result is known. Perhaps this is also the reason for this person's departure. Because he exploited this issue a lot and took the curse of these people. They demonized the oppressed Syrians who took refuge in our country, targeted them, and thought they would get results from here for the sake of 3-5 votes, but they did not get the result they wanted. We, on the other hand, have always explained what conscience, humanity, and brotherhood mean in this matter. What did we say? “We are the Ansar, they are the Muhajir.” Therefore, we said, “As Ansar, we do not and cannot kick these Muhajirs out,” and we kept our word until the end. Even if it were today, we would still stand by it. In the meantime, we have also started building houses in northern Syria. These are also continuing. As Syria strengthens its unity, solidarity, peace, and stability, the return of refugees scattered across various countries of the world is accelerating. Look where we have come now? Have the sanctions on Syria been lifted? They have. What happened? What was going to happen? Politics is a matter of vision, vision... If you have a vision, you solve problems. But if you don't have a vision, you can't solve anything. Since 2016, the number of those returning to Syria has reached 1 million 290 thousand, and this number is increasing every day. These are also pleasing, good results for us. You mentioned the earthquake zone. Our preparations regarding the shipment of the containers in this region, especially to Gaza, are continuing. Our relevant friends are continuing their work on this. With these containers, we will provide the highest level of opportunity to the region, God willing. We will give these containers to our brothers during the process of building the new Gaza, where Palestinians will continue to live."

QUESTION - Sudan has been struggling in a civil war for about two years. What is Turkey's approach to developments in Sudan?

"It is not possible to act without a plan. First the plan, then the project. We will do these. Moreover, Sudan is a country that is waiting at every moment for how Turkey will extend a helping hand to it. Every pain, every massacre, every drama experienced there breaks our hearts. Moreover, they also have expectations from us. In the face of these expectations, we are making our evaluations with our friends and continuing our work on what kind of support we can provide. Unfortunately, thousands of people have lost their lives in Sudan for about 2 years. Millions have been displaced and exiled. Children are struggling with hunger and disease. We hope for the resolution of the dispute in Sudan and the cessation of the bloodshed of our brothers. What is happening also wounds the conscience of humanity. We also believe that this conflict should end as soon as possible and that a solution to the problems should be found through dialogue. We know very well that our burden is heavy on this matter. As Turkey, we cannot watch what is happening here from afar. We will continue our diplomatic efforts to ensure the peace and security of Sudan. Let the people of Sudan be sure, Turkey is with them."

QUESTION - I want to ask about the F-16 and F-35 headline. The agreement regarding the Eurofighter aircraft was recently completed. Turkey is gradually strengthening its air inventory, important developments... During your last trip to Washington, the F-16 and F-35 issue had also come to the agenda. Has any progress been made since that visit?

"First of all, thank God, things are going well regarding the Eurofighter. We have taken positive steps regarding the Eurofighter with both the UK and Germany. But besides that, we have also had some meetings with Qatar and Oman. Perhaps it may be the case that we could also purchase the Eurofighters they have. If we can conclude these agreements, God willing, good developments will emerge for our country. In addition to these, with the defense industry steps we have taken in our country, Turkey will capture great opportunities. The meetings to be held at the technical level and the progress to be made are important. Of course, there is also the F-16 and F-35 issue. We have taken positive steps regarding the F-35 in our recent meetings with US President Mr. Trump. I hope that the promises made will be fulfilled and that we will, God willing, possess a powerful capability with the F-35s."

QUESTION - You stated that there is no problem in the People's Alliance and that meetings with MHP Leader Mr. Devlet Bahçeli can happen at any time. First of all, when will this meeting take place? This date is being wondered about. Because as you know, various speculations are being made. Therefore, what would you say about the speculations regarding the People's Alliance, how do you evaluate them?

"Let me not give a date, but God willing, with our return to Ankara this week, if we establish contact with the Chairman and make an appointment, I will either pay him a visit or invite him. We will ensure they visit us. There is no problem between us anyway. As you know, we are in Ankara on November 10, Monday. As soon as we return, we will establish our contacts and take the step."

QUESTION - In recent days, Özgür Özel has once again appeared before the public with harsh expressions, threats, and even insults. How do you evaluate this? Is the main opposition unable to conduct politics on a decent ground, so it resorts to threats and insulting rhetoric?

"You know, we have a beautiful saying. “Whatever is in the pot leaks out.” You have probably heard about the lawsuit we filed against what Özgür Özel did. The lawsuit has been filed now. My lawyers, thank God, are following their work well. Most recently, we won 200 thousand lira in compensation from a lawsuit during this period. That will also find its place. It will go to foundations. Hopefully, if we win this 500 thousand as well, it will be much better. Winning these lawsuits without getting tired or weary is truly appropriate. I would also like to express that the words spoken, the sentences constructed, and the accusations made by the CHP Chairman are actually just a description of their own situation. It is a continuation of the habit of feeding on crises, hoping for chaos, and trying to make the agenda by inciting fights. This language befits neither our state tradition nor the dignity of our nation. We will never descend to this level that the CHP is trying to drag us into, we cannot descend. We can never justify descending to this level to ourselves, nor can we explain it to our nation."

QUESTION - At the opening program of the Year of the Family and on various occasions, you stated that our population growth rate is trending towards negative, and on the other hand, the institution of the family is being tried to be eroded through LGBT. Throughout the year, more than 10 thousand different activities were shown in 81 provinces. Even the subject of last Friday's sermon was the family. On the other hand, important regulations were made to encourage marriage and having children. As a result, we are approaching the end of the Year of the Family. At the point we have reached, what is our situation regarding the threat to the family?

"The family is the root of our civilization, the carrier of our values, the most sacred institution that makes us who we are. The family issue is a very important issue for us. Just as we develop the defense industry for the security of our country and take measures regarding cyber security, we must also protect our families against new generation attacks. The most important issue for us within the Year of the Family is to protect the function of the family in Turkey. For this, we will never allow perversions like LGBT. A country with a strong family institution gains strength. Our family institutions are strong. Then we will walk into the future with much stronger steps. There will be no deviation from here, and we cannot allow such a deviation. We are currently at 1.7 in population growth rate, unfortunately. This is suicide. We need to solve this. It is unacceptable for Turkey's population growth rate to reach such a position. We don't say at least 3 children for nothing. Why not at least 4 children, why not 5? Let's accelerate this, and our country, God willing, will advance into the future much more strongly with the increase in our population growth rate."

QUESTION - Turkey has taken on a mediating role in the tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan. You met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Did this issue come to the agenda?

"How could it not? Currently, our intervention is also developing in a positive direction. Hopefully, the result will be good, and in all likelihood, our Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler, and MIT President İbrahim Kalın will pay a visit to Pakistan as a trio this week. By discussing these issues there, they will hopefully bring the process that started in Doha to a conclusion in Ankara. We hope for a permanent ceasefire and peace to be achieved, and we continue our advice of moderation to the parties."