Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan proclaimed that the era of Western interference in the region through “divide and rule” tactics has come to an end. Speaking at his ruling AK Party’s 8th Regular Provincial Congress in Mersin, Erdogan also urged European nations to address their own challenges before attempting to impose order on others.
“The century-old game is being disrupted. The era of Western interference in the region with divide-and-rule tactics is over,” Erdogan declared, reflecting on the transition from the Ottoman period to the founding of the Turkish Republic. He accused imperialist powers of seeking to stifle Turkey’s growth by fostering coups and economic turmoil. “The AK Party came to power through a true revolution in Anatolia,” he added.
Turning his criticism toward Europe, Erdogan pledged to resolve Turkey’s terrorism challenges definitively. “Europeans should first solve their own problems. Only after that should they attempt to bring order to our region,” he stated.
Earlier in a speech in Adana, Erdogan welcomed the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, asserting that Turkey played a role in facilitating the truce. However, he expressed skepticism about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s commitment to peace.
“We know very well that Israel, especially Netanyahu, has a long record of violating ceasefires. This cannot be allowed to happen again. Our fight to hold accountable those who commit war crimes and crimes against humanity will intensify,” Erdogan warned.
