Fairer world possible for those stuck in crises, says Turkish foreign minister

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - The Turkish foreign minister said Tuesday that today's global system is insufficient in preventing crises and falls behind of meeting the expectations of humanity.

Speaking at an iftar event, organized by the Union of International Democrats in Brussels, Mevlut Cavusoglu said introversion and racism, and xenophobia are the two reflexes in the world in the face of deepening crisis.

He noted that anti-Turkish sentiments and Islamophobia are also among these "dangerous" forms of racism, adding that Türkiye is against both outcomes and "strongly rejects" it.

"You've seen the recent events in Sweden, the Netherlands, and Denmark, you've seen the attacks on the Turkish flag and our holy book, the Quran," said Cavusoglu, referring to far-right Danish politician Rasmus Paludan's provocations.

Paludan, the leader of the far-right Stram Kurs (Hard Line) party, burned a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm in January with police protection and permission from Swedish authorities.

The following week, he burned a copy of the Quran in front of a mosque in Denmark, prompting condemnation from many Muslim-majority countries, including Türkiye.

"Of course, we make the necessary efforts on these issues, when we say to prevent them, they say freedom of expression," said Cavusoglu, adding that there is a "double standard" on this issue, as in everything else.

"We say, this is the footsteps of Nazism," he noted, referring to the Quran burning provocations.

- Türkiye helps easing global energy crisis

The Turkish minister stressed that a fairer world is possible for humanity which is stuck in crises.

"Today's system cannot prevent conflicts and is insufficient in preventing crises, it also falls behind of meeting the expectations of humanity."

About the global energy crisis, Cavusoglu said Türkiye is the biggest contributor to ease the energy crisis.

"We convert LNG to gas with the tankers we bring from all over the world and ship it to Southeast European countries through pipelines. We contribute to the resolution of the energy crisis that they are facing," he noted.

By increasing the amount of natural gas coming from Azerbaijan, Türkiye both meet its own needs and provide gas to European countries, added Cavusoglu.

He also said that while Türkiye is fighting all kinds of terrorist organizations decisively, at the same time, it has not allowed any fait accompli in Cyprus, in the Aegean, or in the Eastern Mediterranean.