President Erdoğan said, “Full membership to the European Union (EU) is our strategic goal. It is obvious that it is in our mutual interest for the Union to approach Turkey from a similar perspective.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with Estonian President Alar Karis, who is on a visit to Turkey, at the Presidential Complex.
Erdogan and Karis held a joint press conference after the meeting.
Speaking here, President Erdoğan expressed his great pleasure to host President Karis and his delegation in Ankara on the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with Estonia.
Stating that they confirmed the common will to improve Turkey-Estonia relations during their talks with Karis, Erdoğan said that they discussed the joint steps to be taken in this direction.
Pointing out that Turkey and Estonia have the potential to advance their cooperation in every field, Erdoğan said, “We can further increase our trade volume, which has reached 429 million dollars, and our mutual investments.”
Stating that the first meeting of the Joint Committee on Economy and Trade, which was established last year, will be held in Turkey as soon as possible, Erdoğan said that a new road map in terms of economic and trade relations will be determined with this meeting.
Stating that as NATO allies, they can develop the existing cooperation established in the field of defense industry with additional concrete projects, Erdoğan said:
“We consider the diversification of our relations in a wide range of fields from science and technology to education, culture and tourism as important investments in the future of our cooperation. Estonia has an important position in the world in digital transformation, digital applications and cyber defense. I sincerely believe that our close bilateral relations and our solidarity within NATO will continue to strengthen on solid foundations.”
“We are continuing our suggestions to the parties”
Stating that they also discussed Turkey-EU relations and current regional and global issues with President Karis, Erdoğan said: “As we have emphasized on every occasion, full membership to the European Union is our strategic goal. It is obvious that it is in our common interest for the Union to approach Turkey from a similar perspective. I believe that Estonia’s support for Turkey on the basis of this understanding will continue to increase. I shared this expectation with Mr. Karis on this occasion.
Stating that they also discussed the developments regarding the war in Ukraine, Erdoğan said the following:
“I once again underlined our support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. It is only possible through diplomacy to end the destruction in Ukraine as soon as possible and to reach a fair and final solution for all parties. We continue to urge the parties in this direction. We remain convinced that initiatives that exclude Russia will not yield the desired results.”
“Those responsible for the barbarism in Gaza will be held accountable”
Stating that the atrocities in Gaza were also on the agenda during the meeting, Erdoğan said: “The massacres committed by Israel in Gaza, despite the international community’s calls for a permanent ceasefire, threaten not only regional stability but also global security. Those responsible for this barbarism in Gaza will sooner or later be held accountable before international law. I would like to emphasize once again that we are following this issue.”
Stating that in order to end the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, there is an urgent need for a ceasefire and the delivery of humanitarian aid, Erdoğan underlined that Turkey will continue to do whatever it can in this regard.
Erdoğan said, “Permanent peace is based on a two-state solution. The international community must now put its weight on the issue.”
Thanking President Karis and his delegation for their visit, Erdoğan wished that the talks would be fruitful.
President Erdoğan hosted a dinner in honor of Estonian President Karis
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hosted a dinner in honor of Estonian President Alar Karis, who is visiting Turkey.
The dinner at the Presidential Complex was closed to the press.
Delegations of the two countries also took part in the dinner.
