Turkey aims to end the Russia-Ukraine war through diplomacy, Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan said Friday in a speech he made at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
“We are working to end the conflicts in Ukraine through diplomacy and we are making every effort to ensure peace in our region and beyond,” Erdogan said, adding that Turkey carried out “efficient cooperation with the United Nations and parties” for the shipment of Ukrainian grain in the Black Sea.
“We make sincere efforts to deliver grain to those who need it most, especially to our brothers in Africa,” the Turkish President said.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin complained last week about a U.N.-brokered deal between Russia and Ukraine that established a sea corridor which allows Ukraine to export its grain via the Black Sea, saying the deal was delivering grain, fertilizer and other foodstuffs to the European Union rather than to poor countries.
Erdogan also praised the organization: “We have thousands-year-long social, cultural and political ties with Asia. With our Asia Anew initiative, which we proclaimed in 2019, we have been working to strengthen our relations with Asia, our fatherland, in every area. We see the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as Asia’s climate of tolerance and ancient culture based on producing common solutions to problems.”
He noted that, since Turkey’s dialogue partner status, SCO has been one of Turkey’s doors opening to Asia.
Speaking on global food security, Erdogan said that the importance of the connection between the East and West for the global supply chains has become more visible and the “Central Corridor” along the Caucasus, Central Asia, and China plays a significant role in prosperity and stability in the region.
Erdogan ended his speech by saying: “With this understanding, we stand ready for cooperation in every area, from security, economy, and energy to transportation, agriculture, and tourism. We will continue to contribute to the ongoing political and economic processes within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.”
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, established in 2001 comprises eight member states in Eurasia and aims to promote deeper political and economic cooperation. Turkey has been a dialogue partner with the SCO since 2012.
Source:gerceknews
