JAKARTA - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday said Turkey was navigating the current Middle East conflict with caution and wisdom, while upholding brotherhood and neighborly relations.
"We will not fall into the trap that has been prepared for us," President Erdogan said in a speech after a Cabinet meeting in Ankara, stressing that Turkey "is determined to stay away from the fire circle," as quoted by Anadolu (25/3).
President Erdogan emphasized that Turkey, aware of its position, stands out in the region and globally through its attitudes, discourse, and actions.
"Turkey is one of the rare countries that dares to call the right 'right' and the wrong 'wrong'," he said, noting that after "the attack launched on February 28 against our neighbor Iran under Israeli pressure, the characteristics of our country have been discussed more broadly."
Furthermore, President Erdogan emphasized that Turkey is among the leading countries praised for "correctly reading and analyzing from the first day the process that has drowned our region in blood and gunpowder."
He said Turkey was ready to face a constantly evolving global environment related to conflicts and wars, highlighting steps to strengthen energy supply security through diversification and projects aimed at utilizing domestic resources, while strengthening infrastructure, transportation, and financial resilience against external shocks.
Emphasizing increased international involvement, President Erdogan said Turkey had expanded its cooperation mechanisms with dozens of countries and strengthened trade and diplomatic relations, especially in Africa and Latin America.
He added that Turkey has also increased its industrial capacity by building organized industrial zones and technology parks.
Despite the "hidden and open embargo," President Erdogan said Turkey had reached a level of self-sufficiency in many areas, particularly in the defense sector, noting that the country had made significant progress with domestic capabilities "from unmanned aerial vehicles to missiles and rockets, from electronic warfare systems to air defense capabilities."
He also underlined Turkey's shift in security doctrine, saying Ankara had expanded its security perimeter beyond its borders, describing it as "a transformation in the security paradigm of our country."
It is known that the Middle East region is in line with the Israeli and US attacks on Iran on February 28, which have killed more than 1,300 people to date, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran has retaliated with drone and missile attacks targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf states hosting US military assets. Iran has also effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz since early March.
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