Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar visited the Underwater Attack (SAT) Command with Chief of General Staff General Yaşar Güler and Naval Forces Commander Admiral Adnan Özbal.
Minister Akar, who received a briefing and gave instructions on the activities from SAT Commander Rear Admiral Ercan Kireçtepe, also answered journalists' questions about the agenda.
Reminding him of the news that two A400M-type transport aircraft belonging to the Turkish Armed Forces remained in Ukraine, Minister Akar, asked for his assessment, said, “We sent two A24M aircraft on the evening of February 400 for humanitarian aid. At the same time, we planned the evacuation of our citizens there. Our two planes are currently waiting at Borispol Airport due to the closure of the airspace after arriving there. We continue our contacts with both Russia and Ukraine on this issue.” used the phrases.
Minister Akar stated that the efforts to bring the planes back to Turkey safely in case of a possible ceasefire are continuing, and said, “We are in close contact to ensure the safety of our planes as much as possible. In addition, our aircraft crew are currently hosted at our Embassy. We will evacuate our planes at the first opportunity. Meanwhile, if there is an opportunity, it will be possible for our citizens there to be evacuated to Turkey.” said.
WE EXPECT POSITIVE DEVELOPMENTS
When asked about the meetings he held with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, Minister Akar emphasized that Turkey is in favor of peace and dialogue in all its activities.
Reminding that the contacts with Russia and Ukraine continue after the events, Minister Akar said, “We had meetings with Mr. Shoigu and Mr. Reznikov. From now on, we will continue our negotiations as necessary. During the meetings we held, we shared our views and assessments on the peaceful resolution of the events, ending the humanitarian crisis as soon as possible, and establishing a ceasefire as soon as possible. We expect positive developments in this regard.” he said.
When asked whether the issues regarding the evacuation of Turkish citizens in Ukraine were brought to the agenda during the bilateral meetings, Minister Akar replied as follows:
“During our meetings, we stated that there are Turkish citizens in various regions of Ukraine, and some of them have been evacuated. We shared our requests and thoughts with both Mr. Shoigu and Mr. Reznikov on ensuring the safety of our citizens who are evacuated or staying in some regions. We expect some developments in this regard in the coming period. Our Honorable President and Foreign Minister also express these issues in their meetings with their interlocutors. It is our most sincere wish that the situation there will be normalized as soon as possible, that a ceasefire will be achieved, and that stability will also be ensured. However, we did our best to evacuate our citizens as quickly as possible.”
Asked about Turkey's humanitarian aid to Ukraine, Minister Akar said, “As Turkey, we are a country that attaches great importance to humanitarian aid not only for this country, but also in principle. In Ukraine, we have tried our best to alleviate the humanitarian crisis as much as possible, and we are doing it. We are trying to deliver our humanitarian aid the way other countries do.” gave the answer.
WE SUPPORTED PEACE, PEACE, STABILITY IN THE BLACK SEA
Reminding the Montreux emphasis he made in his statements on the subject, Minister Akar said:
“As a country with the longest coastline on the Black Sea, we have supported peace, tranquility and stability here from the very beginning. We express our same attitude and principle again. Within the scope of this principle, we continue our contacts. When we used 'regional ownership' and 'Montreux principles', there was a trust and stability here for up to a century. It should not be broken. Whatever we have done in this regard, we have done so far, and we will continue to do so in the future. Therefore, everyone should know that this Montreux status is an important framework for all riparian countries, the whole region and the whole world. When we present our experiences of the past years, we see and evaluate that it is important to act accordingly. For this reason, the deterioration of Montreux status does not benefit anyone, let's protect it together.”
THEY PILL GASOLINE ON THE FIRE
Minister Akar, who was asked about the map in which Istanbul is described as Greek territory, on a television channel in the USA, together with the recently increasing provocative activities of Greece in the Aegean, Eastern Mediterranean and Cyprus, made the following statements:
“As Turkey, we emphasized that we are in favor of dialogue on all platforms. We invited them to interviews. We stated that problems can be resolved through negotiations. We have repeatedly stated that we expect the Greek delegation to Ankara, especially for the fourth meeting held within the framework of Confidence Building Measures. Unfortunately, despite all our peaceful approach, our invitations, our calls for dialogue, some politicians, especially in our neighbor Greece, continue these provocative actions and rhetoric to the detriment of the Greek people. They are constantly making efforts to increase the tension between the two countries, almost pouring gasoline on the fire. On the other hand, it gives us hope that some politicians, some retired diplomats, soldiers and academics see the truth.
As if these were not enough, a part of Turkey was shown on the map of Greece on a television channel in the USA. This is not acceptable behavior. In a period when communication is so intense and developed, it is unacceptable not to be seen, not known or neglected. Our Presidency Communications Department has taken serious initiatives in this regard. With the initiative of our Director of Communications, Fahrettin Bey, the US television apologized and corrected its mistake. These are events that occurred as a result of some provocations. These should be followed and not taken lightly. We are followers of them. As the State of the Republic of Turkey, we will continue to make every effort to correct these mistakes by working together with all institutions and organizations.”
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