Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan: 'The massacre in Gaza has the potential to trigger a regional war at any moment...'

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a joint press conference in Warsaw, the capital of Poland, with his Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski and Romanian counterpart Luminita Odobescu following the Turkey-Poland-Romania Trilateral Cooperation Process Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

Minister Fidan stated that this was the 4th meeting of the format, noting, "We have had a productive traffic of discussions in a truly good format. In our meetings today, we addressed our preparations for the NATO Summit to be held in Washington next month. It is obvious that we need to improve relations between our countries in the face of security challenges in the region adjacent to NATO. We discussed what we can do in this regard," he said.

''THE IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS BY ALLIANCE MEMBER COUNTRIES AGAINST EACH OTHER IS INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE SPIRIT OF ALLIANCE''

Stating that he explained Turkey's priorities and expectations regarding the NATO Summit to Polish Foreign Minister Sikorski and Romanian Foreign Minister Odobescu, Minister Fidan said, "I emphasized to my esteemed colleagues the importance of implementing and following up on the decisions taken at the Vilnius Summit. As you know, all sanctions, restrictions, and obstacles, especially in the defense industry, must be completely lifted among allies. The imposition of sanctions by alliance member countries against each other is incompatible with the spirit of alliance. We emphasize this on every occasion. In this framework, we also expect the commitments made in Vilnius to be fulfilled. Sanctions and restrictions do not only affect the allied country subject to them. This anomaly also reduces NATO's deterrence and defense capacity," he said.

''TURKEY HAS BEEN PAYING VERY HEAVY PRICES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM FOR YEARS''

Expressing that they also discussed the issue of counter-terrorism at the meeting, Minister Fidan said, "We expect NATO to take concrete steps in this regard as well. Turkey has been paying very heavy prices in the fight against terrorism for years. It is our most natural right to expect our allies to stand by us unconditionally in this struggle. Because alliance requires all members to be in maximum solidarity with each other on a highly sensitive issue such as the fight against terrorism. We once again emphasized that the promises made regarding the fight against terrorism must be fulfilled by the time of the summit in Washington," he said.

''THE DIPLOMACY OPTION SHOULD NOT BE PUSHED ASIDE IN THE ONGOING WAR IN UKRAINE''

Stating that they discussed the Russia-Ukraine War at the meeting, Minister Fidan said, "As you know, as Turkey, we are in favor of prioritizing the option of diplomacy and negotiation in all wars and all conflicts. We are maintaining this approach regarding Ukraine as well. The diplomacy option should not be pushed aside in the ongoing war in Ukraine. Furthermore, the Montreux Straits Convention plays an important role in preventing the escalation of tension in the region. We continue and will continue to meticulously implement this convention, which preserves stability, in a neutral manner, in both its letter and spirit," he said.

''INITIATIVES THAT COULD WEAKEN THIS LEADING AND PRIMARY ROLE OF NATO...''

Expressing that NATO is the most important actor in effectively ensuring the defense and security of Europe, Minister Fidan said, "It is necessary to refrain from initiatives that could weaken this leading and primary role of NATO. I shared with my esteemed colleagues today that some attempts in this direction disturb us. I pointed out that initiatives that might take shape under the umbrella of other international organizations in Europe could harm transatlantic security," he said.

''THE MASSACRE IN GAZA HAS THE POTENTIAL TO TRIGGER A REGIONAL WAR AT ANY MOMENT''

Stating that they also discussed Israel's ongoing attacks on the Gaza Strip with his counterparts, Minister Fidan said, "The humanitarian catastrophe still ongoing in Gaza was also among the topics we discussed. The massacre, which has been going on for months, is now a serious threat to global security, and the existence of this threat is shared by all relevant actors. The massacre in Gaza has the potential to trigger a regional war at any moment. All countries providing unconditional support to Israel must reconsider this stance before it is too late. Under the guise of ensuring its own security, Israel is massacring Gazans and displacing millions of people before the eyes of the whole world. It is impossible to make progress with an understanding that remains a spectator to this brutality and that does not care in the slightest about the safety of Palestinians. For this humanitarian tragedy in Gaza to end, a permanent ceasefire must be achieved as soon as possible, and the parties must sit at the table. Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners must be released. It must be ensured that displaced Palestinians can return to their homes. Israel must withdraw from the lands it occupies, and sleeves must be rolled up for the reconstruction of Gaza. We believe that it is possible to turn the crisis in Gaza into an opportunity for lasting peace. We invite Israel to heed the calls of the international public and approach the process positively," he said.

''MINES DRIFTING INTO THE BLACK SEA POSE A GREAT THREAT TO OUR COUNTRY''

Expressing that Romania's relations with Turkey are at the level of a strategic partnership, just like Poland's, Minister Fidan said, "Last month, at the High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council Meeting, we reaffirmed our determination to further strengthen our relations. We aim to increase our trade volume, which has exceeded 10 billion dollars for two consecutive years, to 15 billion dollars next year. Our defense and military cooperation constitutes an important dimension of our relations with Romania. Mines drifting into the Black Sea pose a great threat to our countries. Against this threat, in line with our commitments at the NATO Vilnius Summit, a mine countermeasures task group has been established in the Black Sea with the participation of Romania and Bulgaria, under the leadership of our country," he said.

Minister Fidan emphasized that Turkey, Poland, and Romania will continue to contribute to the stability and peace of the region in the future, just as they do today.