Speaking at the 13th Economic Cooperation Organization Leaders’ Summit, President Erdoğan said, “We should be careful against the planners that are trying to drive our region to conflict, competition and chaos on the basis of ethnic and sectarianism. We do not risk our future for the interests of foreign elements. We have priority, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Libya to stop the blood flowing in brother geographies, to extinguish the unrest fire.”

The 13th Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Leaders’ Summit, where President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan participated, began. Members’ photo was taken at the summit held in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, hosted by Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, with the participation of the leaders of the member countries.

The summit held at the Serena Hotel followed with a family photo shoot followed by a general session of summit. President Erdoğan made a speech after the opening speeches in the session that started with the reading of the Pakistani national anthem and the recitation of the Quran.

"We must upgrade the quality of air, land and rail links"

President Erdoğan said that the current figures show that the potential of the member countries could not be sufficiently mobilized, “The share of the economic cooperation organization in the world population is 6.2% in 2015, whereas the share of world trade is only 2%. For this reason, it is very important that the Economic Cooperation Organization Trade Agreement is deemed to be crucial. I invite the member countries to fulfill the conditions necessary for the operation of this project to be active. In the same way, we will have the opportunity to exchange air, land and rail links for increasing trade and contacts among our countries. We must upgrade the quality.”

"Member countries must fulfill their budget responsibilities"

Every year, many meetings are held within the organization, emphasized President Erdoğan, and said that they cannot make enough projects to produce concrete projects or to pass them on to life, said, “We also have some problems with regard to the ownership of the organization as Member States. Of course the most important manifestation of ownership is to fulfill our budget responsibilities. I believe that we will overcome the problems we experience here. I wish that the reform process initiated for the strengthening of human capacity will be completed successfully. Strengthening our economic and commercial relations is possible only through the elimination of threats to our security and stability.”

"We should be careful with the schemes that try to drag our region into ethnic and sectarian chaos"

President Erdoğan pointed out that Turkiye is carrying out an intense struggle with Daesh, FETO, PKK and PYD, saying that “We must eradicate those brutally murderous from our territory who are killings of innocent people, those who do not recognize any principle, morality and value. We mustn’t make Muslims feel inculpate because of inhumanity killings of those terror organizations. We must also be careful against the schemes that try to drag our region into conflict, competition and chaos in ethnic and sectarian bases. We do not risk our future for the interests of foreign elements. We have priority, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Libya to stop the blood flowing in the brother geography, putting out the fire of unrest.” (ILKHA)