UPDATE - Türkiye not compelled to choose between EU, Shanghai Cooperation Organization: President Erdogan

UPDATE WITH QUOTES FROM TURKISH PRESIDENT ERDOGAN'S SPEECH

By Serdar Dincel

ISTANBUL (AA) - Türkiye is not compelled to choose between the EU and Shanghai Cooperation Organization, “as some claim," the Turkish president said on Saturday.

"While strengthening our relations with the East, we seek ways to advance our deep-rooted cooperation with the West," Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at the Naval War College Commencement and Flag Handover Ceremony in Istanbul.

"We need to develop our relations with these and other organizations on a win-win basis," added Erdogan.

Stressing that Türkiye will protect its rights in “Blue Homeland” till the end and will not allow the rights of Turkish Cypriots to be violated, Erdogan said: "The fact that there are borders between us and the people with whom we lived together just a century ago does not mean that we will be separated from the geography of our hearts."

He said: "Some may call all our goals 'dreams.' Some may see the 'Blue Homeland' as a fairy tale. Some may accuse Türkiye of being adventurous or seeking adventure. Some may try to limit our nation's vision to 782,000 square kilometers.

"There may even be those who question, 'What is Türkiye doing in Libya, Somalia, Qatar, Iraq, the Balkans, Asia, or Africa?' Just as in the past, today and tomorrow, there may be those who are uncomfortable with Türkiye's vision and struggle. But we will not listen to any of this. We will keep looking ahead and never take our eyes off the horizon."

The Turkish president further said: "Saying 'What is Türkiye doing in Syria, Iraq, or Qatar?' is, frankly speaking, a great injustice to our history. Asking 'What is the Turkish military doing in Kosovo, Libya, or Somalia?' is, quite simply, a total eclipse of reason."