Erdoğan’s message in Astana: “We are ready to strengthen our dialogue with the Shanghai Organization”

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke at the Extended Session of the 24th Heads of State Council Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) held at the Palace of Independence. Expressing his pleasure at attending the summit, Erdoğan thanked Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev for the invitation.

President Erdoğan also congratulated Belarus, which was newly accepted as an SCO member, and Nurlan Yermekbayev, who will assume the role of SCO Secretary-General as of January 2025.

Stating that the theme determined for the summit, "Strengthening Multilateral Dialogue in the Pursuit of Sustainable Peace and Development," is extremely appropriate, Erdoğan said, "We are going through a period in which the pillars of the rules-based international system are being shaken. Challenges such as terrorism, Islamophobia and xenophobia, irregular migration, climate change, energy and food security, and disruptions in supply chains are increasing the intensity of the geopolitical shocks being experienced. The latest and most painful example of this is being displayed before all of our eyes in the occupied Palestinian territories, especially in Gaza."

"ISRAEL MUST BE STOPPED AND FORCED TO ACCEPT A PERMANENT CEASEFIRE"

Reminding that approximately 40 thousand innocent people have lost their lives in the indiscriminate attacks carried out in Gaza, President Erdoğan continued as follows:

"The ruins under which nearly 90 thousand Palestinians have been injured and more than 16 thousand innocent children have lost their lives are, in essence, the wreckage of an international system that has lost its legitimacy. To put an end to this destruction, Israel must be stopped and forced to accept a permanent ceasefire. For this, the pressure on the Israeli administration must be increased and maintained. Of course, there are also principled countries that raise their voices for global justice with all their sincerity and effort without falling into pessimism in the face of all these crises that the international order is facing. As Turkey, we are constantly drawing attention to the weaknesses of the current international order.

Despite all obstacles, we are working for the construction of an effective international system that embraces all of humanity, which eliminates global injustices, addresses economic inequalities, and produces peace, security, stability, and prosperity, where the right is strong rather than the strong being right. Our goal is to establish a belt of peace in our region and beyond with an entrepreneurial diplomatic approach that centers on humans and humanitarian values. While the world is experiencing these upheavals, it is also facing a terrorist threat."

"WE ARE READY TO STRENGTHEN OUR DIALOGUE"

Recalling that Turkey has sacrificed tens of thousands of its citizens to terrorist organizations and is a country that knows and recognizes the bloody face of terror very well, Erdoğan said that Turkey has been fighting against different forms and manifestations of terrorism, including the PKK, PYD, YPG, FETÖ, and DAESH, for 40 years and will continue to do so.

Emphasizing that Turkey's long-standing experience in counter-terrorism shows that international cooperation is essential to deal with this threat, Erdoğan said, "In this context, we are ready to further strengthen our dialogue with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. International migration movements triggered by regional conflicts, political instability, and poverty have also become one of the fundamental vulnerabilities."

Stating that Turkey hosts more than 4 million displaced people, including Syrians under temporary protection, Erdoğan continued:

"We express at every opportunity that the international community must also act with a sense of responsibility. Humanitarian aid is another of the fundamental tools in combating the problems we have mentioned. As Turkey, we have undertaken one-third of the aid sent to Gaza. Our 20th 'train of kindness,' carrying approximately 620 tons of humanitarian aid, reached Afghanistan on June 12. Likewise, we recently delivered a total of 24 tons of food and medicine to Afghanistan with a cargo plane belonging to our Turkish Air Force. In this context, we are ready to create a common synergy with you.

As a sensible, problem-solving, and principled member of the international community, Turkey is an important force multiplier in the fight against global challenges. With our 'Asia Anew' initiative, we aim to strengthen our relations with our ancestral homeland, Asia, in every field on the basis of mutual benefit and common priorities. Within the scope of the initiative, we attach importance to developing our relations in this vein with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which is the representative of Asia's ancient tradition of consultation and a platform for multilateral dialogue."

"WE WILL CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN OUR COOPERATION"

Expressing that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has become one of the important dialogue channels with Asia thanks to the dialogue partnership status that Turkey has held since 2013, President Erdoğan noted the following:

"As is known, in 2017, we assumed the term presidency of the Organization's Energy Club High-Level Group. The fact that a non-member state performed such a duty was also a first for the organization. This responsibility, which was duly fulfilled by our country, is very valuable in terms of showing how much our relations with the organization have developed. We will continue to contribute to the organization's goal of multilateralism in Asia and continue to maintain our cooperation in many fields, especially security, energy, and connectivity."

At the end of his speech, President Erdoğan congratulated those who contributed to the organization of the summit.