Turkey has no secret agenda: Presidential aide

By Ayse Sensoy Boztepe

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey has no hidden agenda in any region in the world, the country’s presidential spokesman said on Monday.

"Turkey has a [single] foreign policy perspective: Whatever Turkey says in Ankara or Istanbul, the same is told in the Balkans, Asia and in Africa," Ibrahim Kalin said at his opening speech of a Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) meeting in the capital Ankara.

He said that Turkey’s clarity in foreign policies brings power and legitimacy to the country, adding that world politics is approached "from a 360-degree perspective."

The spokesman also said Turkey is in coordination and cooperation with its allies and neighbors, and said: “Turkey doesn’t receive instruction to implement its own policies when it comes to perpetuity and security”.

Kalin stressed that Turkey’s TIKA, Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet), Yunus Emre Institute, and other related agencies carry out aid campaigns worldwide and these campaigns indicate the country’s "win-win" approach in foreign policies.

“TIKA is not just an aid agency, it creates a bridge between people and protects the oppressed everywhere in the world,” Kalin said.

Kalin stressed that Turkey helps people in war-torn Syria and Iraq not for national security only, but also for safety of life and property.

He added: "While providing our own border security, we protect millions of people running away from war, barrel bombs and chemical weapons.”

He recalled that Turkey is globally in lead in regards to humanitarian aid.