Breaking news! Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu answered NB’s questions.
Highlights from Minister Çavuşoğlu’s statements are as follows:
RETURN OF SYRIAN REFUGEES
I don’t think it’s right for asylum seekers to completely domino the election. We will send the Syrians within the framework of a plan. This was before our election agenda, and it still exists now. We have taken new measures to prevent new immigrants from coming. Migration pressure has decreased due to our presence on the other side of the border. Some of the immigrants were sent to places cleared of terrorism. Infrastructure is being prepared for the immigrants to be sent back. When 240 thousand houses are completed, 1 million Syrian refugees will be sent back. Gulf countries support here. Currently, the Arab League countries have started a dialogue with the Syrian regime. Our four-way talks with the regime continue. We are committed to the return of Syrian refugees. We do not find it right to do this with a racist understanding. However, if we say that 3.7 million Syrians will be sent, it would not be true either.
Türkiye does not open its doors to any country and say ‘here you come’.
A REFUGEE COMMISSION WILL BE ESTABLISHED
At the 4th summit in Moscow, an agreement was reached on the establishment of the Refugee Commission. The Syrians will be sent to the place controlled by Damascus.
SINAN OĞAN’S SUPPORT
Sinan Ogan received over 5 percent of the vote. I think he has a principled stance. He is also in favor of the planned return of immigrants. We are on the same line in the fight against terrorism. We will organize joint programs with Mr. Ogan tomorrow in Antalya.
CAN AZERBAIJAN-ARMENIA AGREE?
We have always supported this process. The process is not easy for Armenia either. It was not easy for them to return the lands they occupied for 30 years. Recognition of territorial integrity is important for lasting peace. It would be beneficial to sign a comprehensive peace agreement. Developments also affect Türkiye-Armenia relations. Every positive step to be taken will also improve the relations between Türkiye and Armenia in a positive sense.
CHILD FOUND IN THE NETHERLANDS
We got information because Turkey’s name was mentioned. They informed that the child was not a Turkish citizen. They did not give any more detailed information. All we know is that he is a 13-year-old Syrian boy.
TURKEY’S EU MEMBERSHIP TARGET
The political decisions of the European Union (EU) brought the process to a freezing point. One of them is the challenges facing us in visa liberalization. It is a fact that our engagement with the EU has slowed down. I do not expect any progress in EU membership in the upcoming period.
ALLEGED INTERVENTION IN THE ELECTION
There are many politicians who want Recep Tayyip Erdogan to change. Biden’s words about the opposition are still remembered. We also saw the polls in which the West led the opposition.
When Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu realized that he would lose the election, they said, ‘We will impose sanctions on Russia’. They made a statement implying that Russia interfered in the elections. We asked, do you have any evidence? saying. We do not want any other country to interfere with us in this way. Who made Kılıçdaroğlu do this? This is really important. Why did they want to disturb the relations between the two countries? After the words of Kılıçdaroğlu and his partners that we will impose sanctions on Russia, Russian tourists were frightened by this statement and did not come. When Kılıçdaroğlu was second, there was some movement.
Details of the last minute development are on NB.com.tr soon…