Turkish Overseas Minister Hakan Fidan stated, “We’ll proceed our peacekeeping actions in Cyprus.”
Minister Fidan gave an interview to the United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based Sky Information Arabia tv channel about Turkey's relations with Syria and Iraq, Cyprus, Israel's assaults on Gaza and ceasefire negotiations, and developments within the Center East.
Fidan stated the next when requested about Turkey's army presence within the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus:
“As you realize, the Cyprus concern is an extended concern. Ranging from 1960, particularly between 1963-1974, the Turkish neighborhood there was subjected to nice cruelty by EOKA gangs. They tried to displace the Turkish Cypriots there.
The Cyprus Peace Operation was carried out in 1974. Since July 20, 1974, peace has prevailed on the island and nobody has died since then. This can be a very precious factor. In different phrases, as a result of presence of the Turkish Armed Forces on the island, peace at present prevails on the island and each communities stay in peace.
“We have already got troopers on the island. This can be a recognized reality. We’ve got hundreds of troopers there. Our numerous capabilities are there, our ships are there. We’ll proceed our peacekeeping actions there.”
– Palestine
Relating to the failure to achieve an settlement within the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks, Fidan stated, “(Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu has one other agenda. A ceasefire in Palestine doesn’t align with Netanyahu’s political objectives. Each the Individuals and the Westerners agree on this concern.”
Fidan additionally stated, “If we don’t implement the two-state answer now, there will likely be a fourth Gaza struggle sooner or later. We will likely be coping with fixed wars.”
The Overseas Minister stated, “If there may be an settlement on a two-state answer, we will be a part of the guarantor mechanism that we proposed as Turkey.”
– “We wish to take the required steps at sure factors with Syria”
“President Erdoğan had made some requires rapprochement with Syria. President (Bashar) Assad approached this positively however set some circumstances. Later, the Turkish Armed Forces made an announcement. What’s Turkey’s last stance on rapprochement with Syria?” Fidan answered the query as follows:
“Simply as we’ve normalized with all brotherly and pleasant nations within the area, we additionally wish to take the required steps with Syria at sure factors. Our President has already declared our coverage on this concern on the highest stage. What’s that? We’re able to provoke any type of dialogue at any stage, together with the Presidency, to resolve the present issues between us. This can be a very precious and essential name. As a result of there’s a want to come back collectively and discuss to resolve the issues.”
Fidan, who identified that there have been talks carried out by numerous channels and discussions held in a number of environments since 2017 and that there have been moments once they noticed the advantages of those, stated, “For instance, look, there was no battle between the Syrian opposition and the regime in Syria for the final 6-7 years. That is the primary. Second, there are not any extra refugees going from Syria to regional nations and the world. The Syrian regime discovered the chance to resolve its infrastructure issues, financial issues and a few political issues throughout this era when there was no struggle.”
Fidan said that they should flip “this short-term scenario” right into a extra everlasting one, and stated, “As you realize, there are tens of millions of people that have needed to go away Syria for regional nations as a result of they feared for his or her lives. They went to Jordan, Lebanon, the Gulf nations, 1 million went to Europe, a number of million got here to Turkey. In different phrases, greater than half of the Syrians are at present dwelling outdoors the nation. These folks ought to be capable of return to their nation safely.”
Talking in regards to the terrorist group PKK's actions overseas, Fidan stated, “As a result of this group is in a struggle in opposition to each the Syrian folks and the Turkish state due to the wealth it stole from there.”
– Relations with Arab nations
Relating to Egypt-Turkey relations, Fidan stated, “I’ll go to Cairo in early August, God prepared. We will even host (Egyptian President Abdel Fattah) Sisi in Ankara, God prepared.”
Fidan responded to a query about Turkey's relations with Arab nations by saying, “Our relationships with our Arab brothers are reaching a really glorious stage, thank God. It’s regular for there to be disagreements. However mature states have to handle them maturely inside a sure strategic framework.”
– “The safety of the Black Sea is essential for Türkiye”
Sky Information Arabia's correspondent requested Fidan how Turkey balances its relations with Kiev and Moscow.
Fidan stated, “There’s a perspective, a imaginative and prescient that our President has put ahead from the start to finish the continuing struggle in Ukraine. At first, this imaginative and prescient was not shared by the fighters. However now, on the level we’ve reached, we see with nice satisfaction that everybody agrees {that a} dialogue, a ceasefire negotiation ought to start. As Turkey, we’re able to do every little thing we will on this concern.”
Stating that they’ve finished their finest concerning the ceasefire and can proceed to take action, Fidan said that the safety of the Black Sea is essential for Turkey.
Emphasizing that the humanitarian tragedy in Ukraine is extremely giant, Fidan made the next assessments:
“We’re really confronted with a scene the place a whole lot of hundreds of individuals have died, the place the infrastructure and superstructure of an awesome nation have been destroyed. It’s now mandatory to place a cease to this destruction, this loss of life. The worldwide neighborhood additionally must take the initiative right here. What’s Turkey doing? First, it consistently reminds us of this; from the mouth of our President, from my mouth. Second, we’re doing no matter must be finished in follow to make this attainable, to make it simpler.”
