President Erdoğan's statement on the European Union

"There is no reasonable explanation for the years-long obstruction of the accession process of a candidate country like Turkey, which makes significant contributions to the prosperity and security of the continent," Erdoğan said.

Thanking Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for his hospitality and kind invitation, Erdoğan stated, "We have gathered here today to address the multidimensional security challenges facing Europe."

Stating that security challenges have ceased to be limited to military threats, terrorist attacks, and hybrid warfare tactics, Erdoğan noted that challenges spanning a wide spectrum—from energy supply to cyberattacks, migration flows to pandemics, and from systematic violations of international law to wars—affect everyone.

"A significant portion of the threats targeting our peace, stability, and prosperity have reached dimensions that we cannot overcome alone," said President Erdoğan, continuing his remarks as follows:

"We view the European Political Community as a platform where we can address common threats to our continent in a sincere environment. Turkey will continue to serve as an island of stability with its close cultural ties to neighboring regions, strong military, deep-rooted state experience, principled foreign policy, and trained human resources.

Unfortunately, we are leaving behind the third year of war in the European geography. The negative consequences caused by the war in Ukraine are deepening every day. The prolongation of the war leaves less and less room for diplomacy. From the very beginning, we have advocated for a negotiation process where both sides are at the table, followed by the achievement of a lasting and fair peace."

"THE GENOCIDE THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON IN GAZA FOR A YEAR IS A COMMON SHAME FOR HUMANITY"

Stating that he met with Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin in Kazan last week, Erdoğan recalled that he also received Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha in Ankara before this meeting.

Erdoğan reported that in both meetings, he once again conveyed his messages regarding opening space for diplomacy, stating that they are ready to do whatever is necessary for the establishment of peace and that their support for efforts toward a solution will continue.

On the other hand, stating that a humanitarian tragedy much greater than the war in Ukraine in terms of the destruction and civilian casualties it has caused is taking place in the Middle East, Erdoğan said:

"The genocide that has been going on in Gaza for a year is a common shame for all of humanity. To this have been added the immoral and illegal attacks recently carried out in the West Bank and Lebanon. Everyone with a conscience sees, accepts, and acknowledges this: considering the death toll approaching 50 thousand, it is essential to exert pressure on Israel in every dimension to ensure an immediate ceasefire and the delivery of uninterrupted and sufficient humanitarian aid to the region. Those who provide unconditional support to Israel's aggression must know that they are becoming partners in the crimes committed."

"WE HAVE INITIATED AN INITIATIVE AT THE UNITED NATIONS"

AKP President Erdoğan stated that they have launched an initiative at the United Nations to ensure the cessation of the transfer of weapons and ammunition to Israel, and that they have delivered a letter signed by more than 50 countries and international organizations to the UN Secretary-General, the United Kingdom as the President of the UN Security Council for November, and the President of the UN General Assembly.

Emphasizing that another important issue is the recognition of Palestine as a state, Erdoğan said, "I appreciate the steps taken in this direction by Ireland, Norway, Spain, and Slovenia, and I congratulate them on behalf of my country and my nation. I believe that these recognition decisions also set a precedent for European states that want peace in the region. I call on all countries that have not yet recognized Palestine to do so in order to contribute to global justice and peace."

Expressing that cooperation and solidarity against terrorism, and fighting without distinguishing between terrorist organizations, is everyone's responsibility, Erdoğan continued:

"We want to see concrete cooperation from our European partners in the fight against the PKK terrorist organization. We expect our judicial and administrative cooperation requests to be met by European countries where FETÖ has an active presence.

Although DAESH has lost its territorial dominance in Syria and Iraq with the significant contributions of our country, it threatens security on a global scale. We attach importance to carefully monitoring the movement of foreign terrorist fighters in West Africa and Central Asia, where the organization's focus has begun to shift, and to cooperation in this field."

"WE CONTINUE OUR CONSULTATIONS AND COOPERATION WITH OUR PARTNERS"

Pointing out that Turkey is among the countries that have contributed the most to peace, prosperity, and stability in the Euro-Atlantic region to date, Erdoğan said, "As one of NATO's most prominent allies, we continue our consultations and cooperation with our partners in the vast geography extending from the Asia-Pacific to North Africa."

"The full inclusion of Turkey in the EU's efforts in the field of defense is indispensable for Europe's peace and security," said Erdoğan, noting the following:

"We expect the path to our participation in the European Defence Agency and projects within the scope of the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) to be opened without delay. Turkey's support is essential for finding solutions to large-scale problems affecting Europe and beyond. Hatred, Islamophobia, and racism in Europe are damaging social cohesion and stability. The increasing marginalization of immigrants, especially Muslims, is emerging as a new face of racism. It must now be accepted that xenophobia and Islamophobia are a fundamental human rights issue that threatens the peace and security of the entire society, not just Muslims and immigrants. In such an uncertain period where global balances are being re-established, it is essential that we develop new and effective policies in almost every field. The political obstacles and certain prejudiced attitudes standing in the way of establishing deeper cooperation must now be left behind. Otherwise, it will not be possible for Europe to achieve the intellectual and economic transformations it needs."

"THERE IS NO REASONABLE EXPLANATION"

Stating that he would also like to draw attention to the importance of the EU's enlargement policy for the security and stability of the European continent on this occasion, President Erdoğan assessed, "It is clear that a fair enlargement policy is the Union's most important geopolitical tool."

Erdoğan said, "There is no reasonable explanation for the years-long obstruction of the accession process of a candidate country like Turkey, which makes significant contributions to the prosperity and security of the continent. It is clear that strengthening our membership perspective in the current geopolitical conjuncture will be to the benefit of both Europe and our immediate geography. As Turkey, we are ready for dialogue and cooperation to advance our relations with the EU on a healthy ground."