Erdoğan: The region is heading toward a very serious circle of fire

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke at the Signing Ceremony of Agreements and Joint Press Conference with President of Senegal Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye. Expressing his pleasure in hosting President Faye of Senegal and his delegation in Turkey, Erdoğan said, "I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate him once again on his victory in the presidential elections held last March. Senegal is among the countries with which we have the closest relations in West Africa and is one of the leading contributors to the stability and well-being of the African continent. We share the same stance on many issues. We have just signed the memorandum of understanding that elevates our relations to the level of strategic partnership. In our contacts today, we discussed cooperation opportunities between our countries in the fields of security, defense industry, counter-terrorism, energy, agriculture, urban planning, culture, and higher education, as well as investment and trade."

Noting that they signed four agreements within this framework, President Erdoğan said, "Our trade and investment relations with Senegal are constantly increasing. Our trade volume has approached 500 million dollars. Our first-stage target is one billion dollars. My dear friend and I are in agreement on reaching this target rapidly. The total value of investments and contracting projects undertaken by Turkish companies in Senegal has reached 3 billion dollars. We are very pleased with this on behalf of our countries. We recommend that our companies evaluate the opportunities in Senegal."

Stating that the Turkey-Senegal Business Forum will be held in Istanbul tomorrow, President Erdoğan said, "A joint economic cooperation meeting will also be held in the coming period. I believe that these important meetings will reveal the true potential of our economic relations. During our talks, the Senegal 2050 National Transformation Program, recently announced by the Senegalese government, also came to the agenda. As Turkey, we expressed that we are ready to share our experience in this field with our Senegalese friends."

Stating that they also evaluated the joint steps that can be taken in security, defense, and the fight against terrorism, especially against FETÖ, today, President Erdoğan said, "I would like to thank the Senegalese authorities for their support in our fight against FETÖ. I have no doubt that this support and solidarity will continue in the coming period. We also had the opportunity to discuss the developments in the Sahel region and Palestine during our talks. We once again recorded our joint stance that security and stability cannot be achieved on the African continent without ensuring security in the Sahel region."

Stating that they discussed the steps that Turkey and Senegal can take in the face of Israel's genocide in Palestinian territories, especially in Gaza, and that they appreciate Senegal's chairmanship of the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People since 1975, Erdoğan expressed that they find Senegal's stance based on a two-state solution in the Palestinian issue extremely valuable. President Erdoğan said, "We will continue our efforts in this direction. We see standing with the people of Palestine and Lebanon as our fraternal and humanitarian duty. We appreciate the resilient stance of our African brothers and sisters, who know very well what oppression, pressure, war, and massacre mean and have experienced the pain of it, against the genocide policy of the Israeli government."

Expressing that a peaceful future cannot be built on blood, massacre, and tears, and that imperialists have experienced this on the African continent, and that they believe the same truth will manifest in Gaza and Lebanon, President Erdoğan said, "Those who seek security through oppression will be dragged into a much greater vortex of insecurity. We have not the slightest doubt about this. I invite all countries with a conscience to exert more pressure on the Israeli government."

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that there are steps that can be taken with Senegal in education, as well as in the defense industry and infrastructure. President Erdoğan noted that Senegal knows the Turkish construction sector very well, and that they can take some new steps and continue on their path by renewing their trust.

Stating that Lebanese Prime Minister Mikati has made an assessment that reveals how reliable his interlocutors are, Erdoğan said, "The region is heading toward a very serious circle of fire. Unfortunately, the period ahead will be much more troubled in the region. Our hope is to see how we can bring the developments in the region under control, primarily through the UN."