By Diyar Guldogan
ANKARA (AA) - Türkiye will continue to take constructive and stabilizing steps without accepting faits accomplis and violations of international law, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said on Friday.
"Türkiye’s foreign and national security policies are informed by our vested interests. Having emerged as a global player under President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan’s leadership, our country will continue to take constructive and stabilizing steps without accepting faits accomplis and violations of international law.
"Regardless of the perspectives of foreign governments, the Turkish people alone will decide the future of our country in the upcoming elections," Altun said in a letter criticizing the column of the daily The National's statements about Turkish foreign and national security policy and President Erdogan.
In response to Raghida Dergham’s article -- How Erdogan’s re-election bid is viewed by the rest of the world -- published on Monday, Altun said: "Raghida Dergham correctly asserts that the upcoming elections in Türkiye 'won’t have just local importance (but) geopolitical implications as well.' It is also accurate that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a major player in the 'regional (and) global geopolitical landscape.'
"I respectfully disagree, however, with the author’s portrayal of Türkiye’s foreign and national security policies with domestic politics."
Altun added that Erdogan’s key policy choices reflect his commitment to defend Turkish citizens and interests in an increasingly uncertain world.
"Our nation’s response to the Syrian crisis immediately comes to mind. In addition to hosting more Syrian asylum seekers than any other country, Türkiye has been actively involved in counter-terror operations against the so-called Islamic State as well as the internationally-recognized terrorist organization PKK and its Syrian component, YPG," he stressed.
Türkiye remains committed to playing a stabilizing role in that region, Altun said, adding: "Any attempt to link Türkiye’s response to terror threats emanating from Syria to domestic politics would risk downplaying the countless attacks that armed groups in northern Syria have carried out against Turkish citizens as well as the safe zones, where millions of Syrians have sought refuge."
- 'Türkiye adopts constructive approach on Russia-Ukraine war'
Türkiye has adopted a "constructive and realistic" approach to prevent and, later, to stop the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, Altun noted, saying Erdogan leveraged personal relationships both with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin to promote regional peace and stability.
As part of Erdogan's efforts, Türkiye hosted multiple meetings between Russian and Ukrainian officials, and brokered a grain deal to prevent a global food crisis, Altun said, adding Türkiye also played a key role in facilitating a prisoner exchange between Moscow and Kyiv.
Last July, Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed an agreement in Istanbul to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which were paused after the Russia-Ukraine war began in February 2022. A Joint Coordination Center with officials from the three countries and the UN was set up in Istanbul to oversee the shipments.
"Last but not least, I disagree with President Erdogan’s characterization as a 'thorn ... in the side of NATO.' Having joined the Alliance in 1952, Türkiye remains one of its most powerful members. In addition to commanding NATO’s second-largest army, our country has actively contributed to operations in Afghanistan, Kosovo, and elsewhere.
"Regarding the membership applications of Sweden and Finland, Türkiye reiterated its commitment to NATO’s open door policy, yet requested those countries to revisit some of their policies that Türkiye believed to undermine the Alliance’s values," he added.