Türkiye open to cooperation with UK on regional, global issues: Communications director

By Merve Yildizalp

ISTANBUL (AA) - Türkiye is open to all forms of cooperation with the UK on regional and global issues, the country's communications director said on Monday.

Addressing the Türkiye-UK Relations Panel via video message, Fahrettin Altun said the panel “will offer a mind opening perspective on the current status of historical and strategic ties between the two countries.” The discussion was hosted by the Directorate of Communications at the Turkish Embassy in London.

“As you are aware, our world is going through a dark time. We are confronting different challenges. We often see regional and global crisis and conflicts,” the director said, mentioning the war between Ukraine and Russia.

“From the very beginning, Türkiye has repeatedly called for restraint. Adopting the tenet that peace has no losers, we said conflicts should be settled through negotiations rather than war. The Ukraine-Russia conflict has also had global consequences, such as the food crisis, which we successfully impeded thanks to the grain corridor agreement,” he said.

Altun also touched upon Israel’s actions against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. “Another issue with global implications is Israel's attacks on Palestine. The Israeli persecution, which has been going on for years, has reached a new stage at the moment. Israel has used hunger as a weapon in its six-month long attacks. It's particularly distressing that the region lacks sufficient humanitarian assistance,” he said.

Adding that Muslims are facing racism, discrimination and Islamophobia all around the world, the director said “the surge in racism and xenophobia, particularly in Western countries in recent years, has led to a rising pattern of states becoming more isolated than before.”

- Türkiye against all kinds of discrimination

Altun said Türkiye is against every type of discrimination. “The increasing global protectionism is also preventing thousands of oppressed and vulnerable individuals from receiving the most basic humanitarian aid. As Türkiye, we strongly oppose all forms of racism and discrimination,” he said.

On refugees, Altun said Türkiye is “one of the countries that successfully navigated the challenges posed by the global refugee problem.”

“A lasting solution to the refugee problem can only be achieved by establishing a system that promotes the fair distribution of global prosperity,” he added.

- Risks posed by disinformation

The director also spoke on the risks posed by disinformation. “What makes all these problems more chaotic is the problem of disinformation. The most dangerous epidemic that corrupts institutions and societies is disinformation. Disinformation is becoming a plague of the age,” he said.

“We deem disinformation both a national and global problem. Hence, we insist on revealing any disinformation activities in regional conflicts. For instance, we are fighting Israel's systematic disinformation campaigns to conceal its brutal attacks through our relevant institutions and organizations as Israel is slaughtering both Palestinians and the truth itself,” Altun concluded, wishing that the panel “will yield positive results.”