Turkish FM Fidan: Countries supporting Israel should reconsider their stances

Speaking at a joint press conference following the 4th Foreign Ministers' Meeting of the Türkiye-Poland-Romania Trilateral Cooperation Process, held in the Polish capital Warsaw, alongside Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski and Romanian Foreign Minister Luminita Odobescu, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan addressed various issues.

Regarding the NATO Summit, Fidan said he conveyed Türkiye's priorities and expectations to Polish Foreign Minister Sikorski and Romanian Foreign Minister Odobescu. He emphasized the importance of implementing and monitoring the decisions made at the 2023 NATO Vilnius Summit.

Fidan stated, "Sanctions imposed by NATO member countries on each other are inconsistent with the spirit of alliance," stressing that sanctions, restrictions, and blockades, particularly in the defense industry, should be completely lifted among allies.

Underlining the need for the commitments made in Vilnius to be fulfilled, Fidan said, "Sanctions and restrictions do not only affect the allied country subjected to them. This anomaly essentially reduces NATO's deterrence and defense capacity."

CALL FOR SUPPORT IN COMBATING TERRORISM

Fidan highlighted that the discussions included the issue of combating terrorism and that NATO is expected to take concrete steps in this regard. He pointed out that Türkiye has paid very heavy prices in its fight against terrorism for many years.

Stating that it is the most natural right to expect allies to be unconditionally on Türkiye's side in the fight against terrorism, Fidan said, "Alliance (NATO) necessitates maximum solidarity among all members on extremely sensitive issues like combating terrorism."

Foreign Minister Fidan conveyed that the promises made regarding the fight against terrorism should be fulfilled by the NATO Summit in Washington.

Drawing attention to the fact that Israel, under the guise of ensuring its own security, is killing Gazans and displacing millions of people in front of the entire world, Fidan said, "Countries that unconditionally support Israel should reconsider this stance before it is too late."