Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the latest NATO summit, held in Ankara on July 7-8, gave his country an opportunity to clearly articulate its stance on pressing international topics, including the Ukrainian conflict.
– “The summit became a platform for Turkey to decisively articulate its stance. We firmly raised the topic of inhumane attacks on our brothers and sisters in Gaza and Lebanon. We reaffirmed that the Russian-Ukrainian conflict should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy,” Erdogan said after a session of his government.
– He went on to say that the summit provided an opportunity for intense diplomatic contacts and bilateral meetings with leaders of the alliance’s member states and other high-ranking guests who were invited to Ankara.
– “US President Donald Trump’s official visit to Turkey deserves a special mention. It took place after a 17-year-long pause and was immensely important,” he said. “We will continue cooperating with President Trump to strengthen Turkish-American ties and reach the benchmark trade turnover of $100 billion, and also to bring peace and stability to our region.”
– Erdogan added that “for NATO, anti-drone efforts remain a priority.” “A decision was made to create a center for advanced anti-drone warfare in Konya (central Turkey),” he said.