Erdoğan said: “It is an obligation, rather than a choice, for our country to have a powerful navy. We have to be strong not only in terms of economy and politics but also of military and defense.”

“Our domestic and national weapon systems are being tested during the Blue Homeland 2021”

Stating that Turkey’s domestic and national weapon systems are being tested during the Blue Homeland 2021, which could not be carried out last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, Erdoğan said that the practical stage of the exercise, which is being performed for training purposes in line with international law, have been conducted in the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean.

“It is an obligation, rather than a choice, for our country to have a powerful navy. We have to be strong not only in terms of economy and politics but also of military and defense. We are obliged to do so to protect the rights of our own citizens and the Turkish Cypriots as well as of our friends in every part of our region,” Erdoğan noted.

“We have never compromised our determination to protect our interests”

Underscoring that the fact that Turkey is sought to be surrounded with a terror corridor along its border with Syria should not be forgotten, Erdoğan noted: “The rights of our people and the Turkish Cypriots in the Eastern Mediterranean have been sought to be usurped. We have experienced many injustices and overt or covert sanctions as well. We have never compromised our determination to protect our interests despite the numerous double standards we have been faced with.”

Pointing out that Turkey has broken the chain of terror in the north of Syria in three different places in its cross-border operations, Erdoğan added that an area of more than 8,200 square kilometers have been cleared of DAESH and YPG members.

“We have thwarted all the attempts aimed at confining our country to the coasts of Antalya”

Erdoğan further stressed: “We have shown that we will never allow faits accomplis in the TRNC. We have laid bare that we will defend at all costs our rights over the hydrocarbon resources in the Eastern Mediterranean. Through the steps we have taken on the basis of international law, we have prevented Libya from being occupied by the putschists. We have thwarted all the attempts aimed at confining our country to the coasts of Antalya. We have alhamdulillah achieved success in all the initiatives we have assumed, particularly in putting an end to the occupation in Nagorno-Karabakh.”

Stating Turkey has never acted with an expansionist or interventionist mindsets while taking these steps, Erdoğan said: “In addition to the security of our citizens, we work to contribute to the stability of our region.” (ILKHA)