Turkey sets the rules of the game in its region: Erdoğan

Addressing Turkish citizens in London, Erdoğan said: "There is peace, security and serenity in Turkey. Today's Turkey is much more powerful than it was 17 years ago. Today's Turkey, not allowing plots against itself to be enacted easily, rather sets the rules of the game in its region and foils schemes. Today's Turkey is a generous country that doesn't beg for a few billion dollars but rather provides the biggest humanitarian aid globally in proportion to national income."

 "Turkey doesn't have designs over Syrian lands"

Underlining that Turkey is a powerful country with her economy and transportation infrastructure as well as her powerful navy that protects her national interests in the Aegean, the Black Sea and the East Mediterranean, Erdoğan added that Turkey has thus far spent more than 30 billion dollars for over 4 million oppressed and innocent Syrians who took refuge in itself because of the civil war in Syria.

President Erdoğan said: "Some ask us when we will leave Syria. Our answer to them is, 'What business do you have there?' Yes, we are there and we will not leave until we clear terrorists from there. We don't have designs over Syrian lands but those who have designs should leave Syria."

"The ties between Turkey and the UK date back more than 400 years"

Emphasizing that the ties between Turkey and the UK date back more than 400 years, Erdoğan praised the long-standing bilateral cooperation growing deeper and assuming new dimensions every passing day.

Drawing attention to the presence of a dynamic and hardworking Turkish community in the UK with a population of more than half a million, Erdoğan said: "We today have a much more organized and effective diaspora than it was 15 or 20 years ago. The Turkish community in the country plays a critical role in the development of relations between Turkey and the UK. It makes us proud that our citizens' participation in commercial life, in particular, keeps getting stronger."

"You can never juxtapose the adjective 'Islamic' with 'terror'"

Underlining that the expression "Islamic terror" is a wrong designation, Erdoğan said: "Islam is a religion of peace. You can never associate our religion, a religion of peace, with terror. You can never juxtapose the adjective 'Islamic' with 'terror'. Take no offence but I condemn those who use that expression."

Warning about the rising racism, discrimination, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia across Europe, Erdoğan underscored that right-wing extremists mostly target Muslims and Turks.

"Neo-Nazi organizations are just as dangerous as DAESH or the PKK for the peace, security and future of the humanity," stated Erdoğan, stressing that these organizations should be fought against with the same determination as the one displayed in the fight against such organizations as DAESH and Al-Qaeda. (ILKHA)