Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that Turkey does not act with hostility unless it faces hostility, stressing that Ankara will not step back if targeted. Commenting on President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s recent statement that “if the sword leaves the sheath, there is no need for words,” Fidan said Turkey will not wait for a threat to materialize across its borders. “We do not threaten unless threatened. If we are faced with hostility, we will not retreat,” he said.
Fidan said Turkey has adopted a new security strategy, stressing that Ankara will take action against threats before they reach its borders.“As someone who has long worked with our president, I know how sensitive he is on national security. Even the smallest step back or concession can cause deep, lasting damage, and our history is full of such examples,” Fidan added.
Speaking on TGRT on Aug. 28, Fidan said the Palestinian issue is unlike any other conflict in the world and warned that Israel has been pursuing expansion beyond the 1967 borders. He said the bloodshed in Gaza exposes global injustice and called for Islamic countries to use their influence on the United States.
Fidan criticized Washington for backing Israel despite its values, arguing that U.S. society would not support such a policy. He also described Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s actions as “a repetition of Hitler’s madness,” noting that even many Jews describe the situation as genocide.
Meanwhile, Fidan held a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss efforts for peace between Russia and Ukraine. Fidan underlined that Turkey is ready to assume its share of responsibility in the process. The two also exchanged views on the situation in Gaza, with Fidan stressing the urgent need to improve humanitarian conditions and achieve a cease-fire, according to Ankara.
Developments in Syria and bilateral issues were also on the agenda.
