Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the Islamic world is facing serious challenges, assuring that Türkiye will continue supporting efforts to overcome crises affecting the region.
Erdogan made the remarks on Sunday, September 13, while speaking at a special programme with young people in the northern Turkish province of Samsun.
Erdogan said developments in the Strait of Hormuz and other parts of the Gulf showed the scale of the challenges confronting the Islamic world.
“We are following what is happening in the Strait of Hormuz. And it is not only what is happening in the Strait of Hormuz; there are serious difficulties in many parts of the Gulf,” he said.
The Turkish president said Ankara believed the difficulties facing Muslim countries should be addressed as soon as possible, stressing Türkiye’s continued involvement in regional efforts.
“Türkiye says that we should overcome the difficulties facing the Islamic world as soon as possible. To overcome these, Türkiye has put its weight behind the region, is doing so, and will continue to do so,” Erdogan said.
He added that Türkiye could not afford to take the situation lightly because of the expectations placed on the country.
“We cannot take this matter lightly, because expectations from Türkiye are high,” Erdogan said.
Erdogan also said his government had succeeded in keeping Türkiye away from the wars and crises affecting neighbouring countries.
“At a difficult time when our region is grappling with crises, wars and conflicts, we have kept our nation away from these dangers,” he said.
He added that Türkiye had made significant progress in several areas despite the instability surrounding the country.
Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan pact
Erdogan also spoke about the new Mecca Joint Defense Agreement involving Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, describing the cooperation as a step that could send a message to the wider Islamic world.
According to remarks released on Monday, Erdogan said the agreement, signed last month, had already contributed to “positive developments.”
“Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Türkiye came together and took a step. With this step, let us send a signal to the Islamic world. There are positive developments, and we will succeed in this,” he said.
Erdogan made the remarks while responding to a question about his long-standing call for reform of the international system, particularly his criticism of the structure of the United Nations Security Council.
The Turkish president has repeatedly used the phrase “the world is bigger than five” to argue that the five permanent members of the UN Security Council do not adequately represent the wider international community.
He reiterated Türkiye’s support for reform of the international system, saying Ankara would continue advocating for what he called “a fairer world.”
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