Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan spoke to the press at the train station in Przemysl, Poland, ahead of his visit to Ukraine. Reminding that the 10th anniversary of the July 15 coup attempt has passed, Fidan said, “On July 15 and afterwards, our state and nation entered into a new struggle for liberation, as it were.
It was a period in which we dealt a heavy blow to terrorist networks at home and abroad, especially FETÖ. We witnessed the state, purged of FETÖ, quickly returning to its original codes and performing the service it should for its nation.”
Emphasizing that the resolute display of the Turkish nation's unwavering will under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan played a major role in purging FETÖ from the system, Fidan said, “God willing, the measures we take and the regulations we make will ensure that such structures never again take root in the system, neither today nor in the future. All our efforts are in this direction.”
Noting that they are working day and night to prevent FETÖ from continuing its illegitimate, espionage and destructive activities against Turkey in the countries it has gone to, Fidan said: “FETÖ is now a structure whose shelf life has expired. Despite this, it continues its struggle against the state. It continues its struggle against the leaders who govern the state, elected by the people.
In doing so, it is also in cooperation with international dirty power centers. This is, of course, a disgrace. There is currently a mass of people held hostage by the organization's leaders. They are living in exile abroad.
They need to wake up, break free from the illusion, feel true love of country, true religious thought and life again, and return to loyalty to the homeland and nation, and rebel against the organization. As long as this base that does not rebel against the organization exists, the organization will continue to use their existence to serve foreign services. It will maintain its market value from this.
But, God willing, just as our country, nation and state succeeded in the fight against FETÖ with its historical strategic culture, understanding and depth, I wholeheartedly believe it will succeed in all similar challenges from now on.”
Fidan's Kyiv Visit
Fidan said they would arrive in Kyiv after a 10-hour train journey, and that they travel by train because the airspace is closed.
Noting that they visited Moscow last month and conveyed President Erdoğan's messages, Fidan said they received Russia's perspective on the war from Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Fidan recalled that U.S. President Donald Trump visited Turkey and that a NATO Summit was held in Ankara.
Stating that he attended the Ukraine-themed Coalition of Volunteers Leaders Summit in Paris, the capital of France, on behalf of President Erdoğan, Fidan said the Ukraine issue is at the center and there is constant exchange of views on it. Noting that how to stop the war is one of the most important issues, Fidan said there are two different approaches in Europe on this matter.
Expressing that Turkey is focused on stopping the war, Fidan said, “How to support war efforts and how to stop the war? There are two separate tracks. Turkey is more on the track of how to stop the war.”
Noting that during their visit to Kyiv they will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his counterpart, Fidan said they will also convey President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's messages, and added: “We hosted Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul last year. Before that, we had various facilitating activities, bringing the sides together.
There is the Grain Deal, which made safe navigation in the Black Sea possible at that time. All of this has been built upon. I believe my visit will make a positive contribution to those ongoing efforts.”
