Allies' restrictions on Turkiye's defense industry should be lifted: Turkish president

By Rabia Iclal Turan and Seda Sevencan

ISTANBUL (AA) - Lifting restrictions that some of Turkiye's "allies" placed on its defense industry is in "our common interest," the country's president said after the NATO leaders' summit on Thursday.

Speaking at a press conference in Brussels after the extraordinary summit, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said "secret and open embargoes among allies" should not even be raised for discussion, let alone implemented.

Noting that he had conveyed Turkiye's expectations on this issue with allied leaders attending the summit, Erdogan said Ankara would continue contributing to NATO's deterrence and defense measures but expects the same solidarity in return.

On the war between Russia and Ukraine, Erdogan said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants Turkiye to mediate in talks with Moscow.

He added that Russia also viewed Turkish mediation in a positive light, stressing that Ankara continued to be in "intense contact" with both Ukraine and Russia to end the war "as soon as possible."

"If there is a demand for Turkiye's mediation role, we're ready for it," he said.

Underlining that Ukraine's independence should be the "main priority," Erdogan said Turkiye is using its powers under the 1936 Montreux Convention to reduce tensions between the two sides.

Adding that his country's main aim was to reconcile the parties, Erdogan said that "any method of approach to the Russia-Ukraine crisis that doesn't prioritize peace will result in disaster."

The solution to the war should be based on a "credible formula" that would be acceptable to Russia, Ukraine, and the international community, he said.

Erdogan also said that NATO must act realistically and strategically while maintaining political and practical support for Ukraine in the current war environment.

Repeating his long-time call for reform in the global security architecture, the Turkish president said that the UN Security Council in particular "must inevitably be subject to serious reform."

On the ongoing refugee crisis, Erdogan said everyone, "especially European countries," should support, help alleviate the problems of refugees who come to their door.