Emphasizing the importance of the Montreux Convention over the tension between Ukraine and Russia, Demir said: “At this point, Turkey should not serve the interests of both the imperialist powers. It should not compromise its rights arising from international law by taking a stand against those who turn the region into a battlefield in line with their interests.”

“The conflicts between the Russian-backed forces and the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Donbass region of Ukraine since 2014 have reached a dangerous level with the Russian military dispatch to the region on the grounds of exercise. Ukraine, which did not achieve stability with the political dynamism called the orange revolution, turned into the field of proxy war of the USA and Russia. The Putin administration, which wants to revive the Soviet Union, not only intervenes in Ukraine, but also puts political and military pressure on Crimea and Georgia. Likewise, the USA, which wants to increase its influence on the region in order to break the power of Russia, is trying to design the Black Sea as another imperialist focus. In this process, the importance of the Montreux Straits Convention shows itself once again. At this point Turkey should not serve the interests of both the imperialist powers. It should not compromise its rights arising from international law by taking a stand against those who turn the region into a battlefield in line with their interests.”

Anti-Islamism in France

Blasting France over its anti-Islamic policies, Demir said: “The bill that restricts the daily lives of Muslims in France in every field was accepted in the Senate. The law puts serious restrictions on Muslims in areas such as wearing a headscarf in public, education for children at home, and choosing a doctor. Articles to prevent students from worshiping in universities were also added to the draft bill. Having a serious Muslim population, France prevents the freedom of belief and worship by violating the rights of many Muslims, especially its own citizens, based on universal law. The reactions of Muslim societies against the rapidly spreading Islamophobia in Western society are far from being deterrent. As a matter of fact, in the declaration published in the last D8 meeting, these grave human rights violations of France were only condemned. These simple reactions encourage and further excite opponents of Islam. In this sense, we call on all states whose people are Muslim, especially Turkey, to impose economic, military and political deterrent sanctions on France, which has become the center of Islamic hostility.” (ILKHA)