Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has slammed the U.S. and European countries for openly threatening Turkey in light of the recent NATO crisis over signing a deal with Russia to buy the S-400 missile defense system, and also for their stance in the row with Germany over its support for terrorism through agents in Turkey.
Addressing Justice and Development (AK) Party congressmen in parliament, Erdoğan lashed out at countries such as the U.S., Germany, and the Netherlands for their “incomprehensible” hostility displayed against Turkey in recent days.
"Westerners want their agents to roam freely on our territory while they harm our people," Erdoğan told congressmen from his Justice and Development (AK) Party at a meeting in parliament.
"Those who say it is the judiciary's business turn situations into diplomatic crises when it comes to the terrorists they harbor in their own country when we catch their agents red-handed," said Erdoğan.
Erdoğan also touched on the issues of German companies in Turkey, saying, “This cooperation is based on mutual benefit. However, they threaten us by claiming they would pull out of Turkey. There are many companies in the world. Any company can be replaced. “
The Turkish president warned Western countries saying “They should either respect our sovereignty and the partnership that exists on just and equal standing, or face the consequences for disrespecting this principle.”
Erdoğan said that the West is “obsessed with Turkey,” and that they used to hide their threats behind carefully picked words, but now they’re doing it blatantly.
Erdoğan slammed steps taken by Germany to bring harm to Turkey by supporting FETÖ and PKK terrorists.
The Turkish president criticized a German minister who openly expressed his thoughts to the media about how to bring more harm to Turkey.
“They made false promises to terrorists that were not actualized during the Gezi events and also to FETÖ terrorists. Now they’re giving the PKK, the Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) and YPG hope, and that, too, will lead nowhere,” said Erdoğan.
”Let me ask them one more question. Why are they worried about the extension of the state of emergency in Turkey, while various U.S. states independently declare a state of emergency? We have declared a state of emergency because of a terror threat. Why are you worried? If they think Turkey will be intimated with an embargo, they’re mistaken. We’re not alone. We get support from Europe, Asia, and the whole world,” Erdoğan said.
Erdoğan also denounced attacks on synagogues in Turkey, referring to reports that a group threw stones at a synagogue in Istanbul last week. "It does not make sense to attack synagogues here because something has happened at al-Aqsa mosque. This does not suit our religion and it is not allowed," he said.
Erdoğan reiterated Turkey’s stance that the ideal solution is a two-state solution within the 1967 borders with Eastern Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian state.
The Turkish president also said it’s not acceptable to treat Muslims as terrorists, just as it is unacceptable for Turkey to treat worshippers going to the country’s synagogues as such.
Erdoğan reserved Turkey’s right to pursue the most ideal measures that concern the country’s security through all means possible, noting that “Turkey has for years informed the EU of its desire to look for a defense system, and this is the result that the search has yielded,” said Erdoğan.
President Erdoğan said that the purchase of the S-400 missile defense system from Russia would not cause any tension. "Greece who is also a NATO country has been using the S-300 for years. Why did not they speak up then? Why do they worry about it when Turkey is concerned?"
He said: "We have taken the necessary steps with the Russian Federation on this issue, the signatures have been put on paper and hopefully we will see S-400s in our country. We will also manage the process with joint production [of S-400s]."
Russian presidential aide Vladimir Kozhin said late June that Moscow and Ankara had agreed on the delivery of the S-400 mobile systems but that the Kremlin had not approved a loan for the deal.
The S-400 system was introduced in 2007 and can carry three types of missiles capable of destroying ground and air targets, including ballistic and cruise missiles.
It can track and engage up to 300 targets simultaneously and has an altitude ceiling of 27 kilometers (17 miles).
Speaking on the subject of Turkish elections in 2019, Erdoğan noted that it will be a breaking point because the Justice and Development (AK) Party’s success in the ballot box constitutes a success for Turkey.
The Turkish president also mentioned winning the referendum was easy compared to the AK Party’s greater target, set for 2019.
He noted that with this target obtaining more than 50 percent was necessary and that when this was actualized their ability to serve the country would increase by a larger percentage.
Erdoğan said that his Gulf tour was an opportunity to discuss several regional matters during meetings held with these countries’ leaders, where sincere discourse took place in a bid to find a solution to sticking points.
Erdoğan reiterated his hope that a solution to the Qatar crisis would soon be found, adding that Turkey would intensify its efforts to ensure stability in the region.
The Turkish president also stressed that al-Aqsa mosque is the third holiest site for Muslims after the Masjid al-Haram and al-Masjid al-Nabawi.
Erdoğan recalled that everyone’s rights of worship in Jerusalem was respected when the holy city was under four centuries of Ottoman rule, noting that the coup targeting the invading Britons in Kut al-Amara is still fresh in people’s memories.
The Turkish president said that the time has come to “leave behind the lie propagated in the past among generations of Turks through history books claiming that ‘Arabs stabbed Turkey in the back.’ “
He noted “As Muslims, protection of the Muslim holy site is not a just a matter about whether it is possible to do more to protect, but a matter of faith.”
"Those who are able to should visit al-Aqsa Mosque. Those who cannot visit al-Aqsa should send aid to our brothers there," urged Erdoğan.
Erdoğan called on all Muslims to protect al-Aqsa, which in turn will make it difficult for Israel to carry on with its plans.
"The reason Israeli soldiers carelessly pollute the grounds of the Noble Sanctuary with their combat boots by using simple issues as a pretext and then easily spill blood there is that we have not done enough to stake our claim over Jerusalem," Erdoğan said.
A Qatari artist and calligrapher, known on social media with her alias “Ghada”, has shared a graphic design welcoming Erdoğan’s visit to Qatar with the Arabic word “al-Zaeem”, meaning leader, decorated with the Turkish star and crescent, which was shared widely by Qataris to express their support for the friendship that exists between their country and Turkey.
