In his video message to the 12th Annual event of the Halifax International Security Forum (HISF), Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan especially wanted to emphasise the fact that when dealing with the surrounding problems, Turkey will never be irredentist and have an interventionist approach.

Stressing that Turkey does not have its eye on any country’s territory, the sovereignty, and domestic affairs, Erdoğan said, “We primarily try to ensure our own national security, life and property safety of our own citizens and evaluate these at strong points to contribute to our stability, tranquillity, and inner peace of our regions.”

Stating that the accusations of the European Union regarding the exploration and drilling activities carried out with determination to protect both the rights of the Turkish people and the interests of the Turkish Cypriots in the Eastern Mediterranean under the name of “intra-union solidarity” are incompatible with history, law and facts.

Erdoğan added “We will continue our efforts to end the isolation against the Turkish Cypriots and for fair sharing of the hydrocarbon resources in the Eastern Mediterranean with the same determination. On the other hand, we have never closed our door to dialogue and diplomacy. Our proposal to organise an Eastern Mediterranean conference with the participation of the Turkish Cypriots is the manifestation of our will to solve the problem through dialogue. Turkey has always demonstrated a constructive attitude to overcome the existing problems in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean.”