“We will protect our rights in the Blue Homeland till the end”

Speaking at the Naval War College Commencement and Flag Handover Ceremony, President Erdoğan said: "We will protect our rights in the Blue Homeland, trivialized by some, till the end. We will not allow the rights of our Cypriot Turkish brothers and sisters to be violated. We will resolutely put into action whatever Türkiye's interests necessitate in the Aegean, the Black Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean without seeking anyone's approval or without heeding who says what."

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered remarks during the Naval War College Commencement and Flag Handover Ceremony in Istanbul.

Stressing that Türkiye cannot reach its targeted destination if it turns its face only to the west, President Erdoğan pointed out that Türkiye can become a powerful, prosperous, prestigious and effective country on the condition that it strengthens its relations with the west and the east concurrently. "Any way other than this would not benefit but harm Türkiye, pushing it off the equation," said President Erdoğan. "Therefore, we are under no obligation to make a choice between the European Union and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, as some claim. Quite the contrary, we have to improve our relations both with these and with other organizations on a win-win basis. We have always acted with this understanding over the past 22 years."

"WE WILL NOT ALLOW THE RIGHTS OF OUR CYPRIOT TURKISH BROTHERS AND SISTERS TO BE VIOLATED"

"While developing our relations with different geographies, we have shaped our policies by caring about 'what our nation says' rather than 'what others say.' This is how we will continue on our path in the future as well," stated President Erdoğan. "We will protect our rights in the Blue Homeland, trivialized by some, till the end. We will not allow the rights of our Cypriot Turkish brothers and sisters to be violated. We will resolutely put into action whatever Türkiye's interests necessitate in the Aegean, the Black Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean without seeking anyone's approval or without heeding who says what."