President Erdoğan: "There is no understanding of 'talk is cheap.' We will eradicate terrorism at its source."

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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in a statement to journalists on the plane returning from his visit to Kazan, Tatarstan, said, "Our goal is a Turkey without terrorism. We will not compromise on this, we cannot. Our goal is a fully independent, united, and prosperous Turkey. There is absolutely no understanding of 'just words' from our current government. We are continuing our efforts to completely eliminate terrorism at its source. Is the source Syria? Yes, it is Syria... Then whatever the source is there, we will take the necessary actions, just as we did last night. In the following process, we will continue on our path with this determination."

Here are Erdoğan's answers to the questions directed at him;

We are curious about the latest information regarding the treacherous attack on TUSAŞ. What do you think about the timing? According to the first statements and information, the attack seems to have been carried out by the terrorist organization PKK. Therefore, what do you think is the purpose of targeting TUSAŞ? Is there any intelligence regarding the possibility of external connections due to the BRICS meeting and membership application? Claims have also emerged that Israel is behind this attack; is there any evidence?

It is significant that a distinguished organization like TUSAŞ has been targeted in this terrorist attack. The terrorists have aimed not only at an organization but also at the peace and security of Turkey. Our heroes have defended our TUSAŞ, which represents Turkey's bright future, at the cost of their lives. Unfortunately, we lost martyrs in this treacherous attack; we have 5 martyrs, and many of our people are injured. May they rest in peace. I wish a speedy recovery to our injured. We will fight against these bloodthirsty criminals without stopping, and we will continue on our path without compromising our determination to carry our country to a prosperous future. Indeed, our National Intelligence Organization President İbrahim Kalın returned to Ankara immediately after this attack last night and personally followed all developments on the ground. We also continued to monitor these developments from Tataristan. Our National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, who was in Istanbul, immediately went to Ankara. My Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz and our Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya in Ankara intervened in the incident immediately. All our security forces intervened against the terrorists and neutralized the female terrorist who carried out the attack in a very short time. The terrorist ended up killing herself, as you know. We have learned that this terrorist attack developed as a infiltration movement from Syria. Operations were carried out at 40 different points throughout the night regarding this. It is evident that these operations imposed very heavy costs on the terrorists.

"OUR GOAL IS A TURKEY WITHOUT TERRORISM, WE WILL NOT COMPROMISE"

Turkey has made significant progress in its fight against terrorism. How will the fight against terrorism continue from now on? You said, "Let's build a Turkey without terrorism," how will this happen?

We cannot compromise in the fight against terrorism. This will continue with determination, and we will continue our policy of eliminating terrorism at its source. There is no compromise on this either. We have established a broad strategy for combating the political and social causes of terrorism, financial resources, and external support. We will continue this strategy in a multidimensional and more comprehensive manner. I want it to be known that terrorists are puppets; they are subcontractors. Our goal is a Turkey without terrorism. We will not compromise on this, we cannot. Our goal is a fully independent, united, and prosperous Turkey. There is absolutely no understanding of 'just words' from our current government. We are continuing our efforts to completely eliminate terrorism at its source. Is the source Syria? Yes, it is Syria... Then whatever the source is there, we will take the necessary actions, just as we did last night. In the following process, we will continue on our path with this determination. We must clean the seeds of discord that have been sown in our unity, weed out these weeds, and carry this homeland, which belongs to all of us, to bright tomorrows together, and we will. There is no compromise on this either. Developments in our region have once again brought this reality to the forefront. We are continuing on our path with determination towards the ideal of a Turkey that embraces rather than divides.

What is the current situation regarding the fight against the PKK's Syrian branch PYD/YPG? Additionally, discussions about America's withdrawal from the region have been ongoing for quite some time. If such a thing happens, the PKK will be left unprotected in Syria and will be eliminated; do you have such an assessment?

The PYD/YPG, which is the Syrian branch of the terrorist organization PKK, is particularly doomed to be abandoned and left alone. America carries this terrorist organization in its arms for a while, but when that time is up, it will have to leave them on their own. The efforts of the terrorist organization, which benefits from the instability in Syria, to enter the protection of some Western countries are in vain. This will not continue indefinitely. Discussions about America's withdrawal from the region have been ongoing for a long time. It has already become clear with the prolongation of these discussions that the withdrawal will be tactical and not a strategic withdrawal. It is now a known fact that America uses terrorist organizations in the region for its own interests and for the security of Israel. Does America provide all kinds of tools, equipment, and ammunition support to Israel? Yes, it does. Does it provide money? Yes, it does. Our eyes and ears are open to all developments happening right next to our lands, and we cannot compromise on these. We will be the protectors of our lands. We must always consider the possibility of infiltration movements from Syria or other places. Therefore, we must take all our security measures accordingly. We are continuing our fight against all terrorist organizations in the region for our national interests and the security of our borders. We will continue this.

You participated in the BRICS Summit and held important meetings. I would like to ask, after Turkey's membership application to BRICS was announced to the public, there was a discussion about a shift in direction and some question marks. In your previous statements, you emphasized that "the desire to join BRICS is not an alternative to NATO." I would like to ask about the current situation after the Kazan Summit; how do you evaluate Turkey's position? What kind of results does Turkey take away from the Kazan Summit?

BRICS is a large platform where rising economies are particularly gathered. We must recognize this reality. As Turkey, we want to develop our relations with BRICS. We already have long-standing bilateral relations and partnerships with BRICS member countries. BRICS, as well as other platforms and international formations, are elements that strengthen us economically. We cannot ignore these. We have continuously explained that we are both an Eastern and a Western country.

Turkey's collaboration with BRICS is aimed at increasing the number of our economic partnerships and maintaining this solidarity within the framework of mutual respect, which is in the interest of both BRICS countries and our country based on the principle of "win-win." Indeed, our bilateral meetings, especially with Mr. Putin as the current president, clearly demonstrate this. We cannot abandon this understanding due to the suggestions made to us by some individuals. We will continue on our path by making our own decisions.

At the BRICS Summit, the "alternative financial system" was mentioned. We already know your views on this matter. Recently, U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump threatened that "countries that remove the dollar as a reserve currency could face a 100% tax on their goods." In this case, can an alternative financial system be implemented?

Our aim here is not to compete with existing systems. We need to continue with our local and national currencies. Mr. Trump has been at the helm of the United States. He may have such a view. At that time, we discussed all matters related to the financial sector with them. We shared these with them. So why didn't they intervene at that time? We will take steps with any country that is willing to do so with local and national currencies. Our goal here is to revitalize the financial sector based on the principle of "win-win." If America and Western countries take steps accordingly, we will win, they will win, and America will win as well. We have been advocating for trade policies with national currencies for years. This allows bilateral trade to be freed from currency pressure. It prevents other countries from interfering in the commercial activities of nations. Trading with national currencies is also free trade. Similarly, the lack of diversity in payment systems increases the vulnerability of financial markets to shocks. Therefore, an alternative financial and payment system facilitates and diversifies international trade.

Excluding some countries like Italy and Spain, we see that the West remains silent about the genocide Israel is committing in Gaza and the massacre in Lebanon. What was the approach of other countries during your bilateral meetings at the BRICS Summit? What do they think about this, and how do they diverge from the West?

The countries you mentioned are truly determined on this issue. They do not compromise on supporting Palestine. We are determined to continue this solidarity with countries like Spain, Ireland, Norway, and Slovenia in the future. If we take steps together, we can gain strength. Unfortunately, the West feels indebted to Israel. For example, Germany sees itself as responsible towards Israel due to the events during the Nazi era. The attitude of some Western countries is similar. They remain silent and unresponsive to Israel's genocide as a way of repaying a debt for their silence towards the actions of the Nazi regime against European Jews during that period. In other words, the West is trying to settle a debt with another debt. However, now they are indebting themselves to the Palestinians, providing cover for Israel, which has become the Nazis of this era, leaving a shameful past for their descendants. We expect BRICS members to provide more support for Palestine's just cause and to loudly say "stop" to Israeli aggression.

You initiated an effort to stop arms sales to Israel at the United Nations. We also know that you discussed this situation with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. There was also a statement from Spain, Ireland, and France regarding this. You called on BRICS members to support this initiative as well. Will there be any developments in implementing a coalition policy on this issue and gathering similar countries in Istanbul?

Stopping Israel means cutting off access to weapons to prevent them from killing their babies, children, mothers, and fathers. Currently, many countries, especially the United States and Germany, unfortunately, support Israel's massacre with the weapons they provide. We have initiated efforts under the United Nations framework for a solution to this issue and to impose a comprehensive arms embargo on Israel. The number of those supporting our call is increasing every day. We hope that as the "Humanity Alliance," we can successfully carry out this initiative and open a door for lasting peace. In defiance of those pouring gasoline on the fire, we are doing everything we can to extinguish this fire and will continue to do so. The fact that our call for an arms embargo against Israel has also been made by countries like Italy, Spain, Ireland, and France shows that the issue is increasingly coming to the forefront. It seems that not only we but many countries are disturbed by Israel's reckless and disproportionate use of force. However, at this stage, the countries led by Turkey need to raise a stronger voice on human rights and international law issues. Everything necessary should be done to strengthen the diplomatic ground, develop alternative perspectives, and increase international pressure, and this terrorist state that threatens humanity must be stopped.

Meeting and contacting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been a topic of discussion for a while. Can we expect any new developments or situations following your meeting with Mr. Putin?

From the very beginning of the process, we have emphasized that we are in favor of preserving Syria's territorial integrity and establishing a lasting, just, and inclusive peace and tranquility in our neighbor. Our understanding of fighting against terrorist organizations without discrimination also plays a role in protecting our borders. Our region has turned into a fire circle, and unfortunately, this circle is narrowing every day. Our fundamental expectation is that the Syrian administration understands the benefits of sincere and realistic normalization with Turkey and takes steps accordingly. I hope that in the coming period, we will see a constructive step in this regard and build Turkey-Syria normalization. Because the instability in that region has gathered terrorist organizations and those with dirty ambitions like a swamp collects flies. The only way to disperse them is to dry up that swamp and turn it into a rose garden. Russia's influence over the Syrian administration is well known. We discussed all these issues, our position, and our expectations with Mr. Putin. We called on Mr. Putin to take a step to ensure that Bashar al-Assad responds to our call. Will Mr. Putin call on Assad to take this step? We leave that to time.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was your guest. There were expectations regarding the lifting of the arms embargo against Turkey. He did not speak very clearly about the lifting of those embargoes at the press conference.

Only a sales issue related to the Naval Forces was discussed, but that has always been there. Will it extend beyond that? Will permission be granted for the Eurofighter? He didn't say these very clearly. Did you receive clearer guarantees from him, what is your impression?

In the bilateral meeting we had with him, we saw that positive steps could be taken regarding the Eurofighter, and that both the UK and Germany are warm towards this matter. As of now, our relevant ministerial colleagues will continue their discussions mutually. The issue is not limited to the Eurofighter. In addition, the Naval Forces, Land Forces, and Air Forces are also involved in many areas of parts and machinery purchases. We received positive approaches from him during the bilateral meeting. Thanks to the steps we have taken, we are largely meeting our defense industry needs ourselves. However, we do need time for some items. We primarily seek to meet these items from our allies. When this process will be completed and when we will reach the stage of aircraft procurement will be shown by time. We hope it won't take too long.

Can you provide a bit more detailed information about your meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian delegation? Did any new topics arise regarding the search for a ceasefire in the Ukraine War and Turkey's mediation mission? Also, did you observe any new will from Putin to end this war?

As I saw in my meeting with Ukrainian President Mr. Zelensky at the Türkevi in the USA, we observed that Mr. Putin also has a search for a permanent ceasefire. This was already confirmed by our Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in their meetings in Istanbul. In addition to the revitalization of the Black Sea Grain Corridor and the clearing of mines, we also saw expectations regarding prisoner exchanges in the meeting we had with Mr. Putin and his delegation last night. We are currently closely monitoring the steps regarding these prisoner exchanges. We will continue to do our best to resolve issues through diplomacy. Our desire is to initiate negotiations for peace between the two countries as soon as possible and to pave the way for a fruitful outcome. We will continue to work tirelessly to achieve this. We emphasize that there will be no winner in war and no loser in peace. This war will eventually end, and our effort is to complete it without more bloodshed and tears.

Recently, there have been some discussions in Turkey, especially regarding the increase of the defense industry support fund. The issue of air defense systems was discussed in this context. In your meeting with Putin yesterday, was there any situation regarding joint action on the new phase of the S-400 and especially the Steel Dome Air Defense Systems that Turkey has started to establish?

We need to distinguish between the Iron Dome and our Steel Dome project. As for the S-400, that is already a different step. We have no thought of 'what will others say?' regarding the other phase of the S-400. The decision will be made by the government of the Republic of Turkey. Our government will sit down, evaluate, and make its decision. But as we said, we named it the Steel Dome. Since we named it the Steel Dome, we will also determine its timeline. We will take steps in due time with the defense industry. Regarding this, what does Turkey's opposition party or its opponents say? The opposition went crazy over the budget issue. They asked, 'Why are you taking money from here? Why are you taking money from there?' We will secure our resources ourselves, and when we secure these resources, we will take our steps. The government of the Republic of Turkey is not in any difficulty regarding resource procurement. When the time comes, it will take its steps, produce its resources, and build its Steel Dome. Our priority here is to meet our own needs completely. Just as we have reached the point we are at in the defense industry step by step, we will continue to advance towards our further goals with solid steps.

On one hand, we are reporting on billion-dollar investments coming from China, and on the other hand, we are receiving news that "China has complained about Turkey to the World Trade Organization." What is the vision regarding Ankara-Beijing relations? When I went in April, Chinese officials said, "We are expecting Mr. President to visit our country." Where is our relationship with China heading?

We have ties with China that extend from the past to the present. We are the heirs of two great civilizations that have developed by influencing each other. We are building our relations on these ties and working to create new, deep-rooted connections. China is a highly influential country in both world politics and trade. We can take new steps to enhance our strategic partnership level relations. We occasionally discuss many topics, from increasing bilateral trade volume to investment potentials, with our Chinese friends. We expect a visit from China soon. After that, we will reciprocate the visit. I believe this will not take a long time. Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay us a visit, and then we will visit them.