“We should boost our economic cooperation as the Balkan countries in order to increase our competitive strength”

Speaking at the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) Summit, President Erdoğan said: “We should boost our economic cooperation as the Balkan countries in order to increase our competitive strength in a globalizing world. As the world gets more and more digitalized, it is unimaginable for us to lag behind on this issue. It is important for us to reinforce the digital infrastructure networks among our countries.”

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered a speech at the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) Summit in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Emphasizing the importance of the SEECP’s success in terms of not only the Balkan countries but also Europe’s peace, stability and prosperity, President Erdoğan said: “The Process also provides critical contributions to the integration of the Balkan countries with Euro-Atlantic organizations. Turkey has always given strong support for the Balkans’ integration with Euro-Atlantic organizations and it will continue to do so.”

“RISING DISCRIMINATORY TRENDS ACROSS EUROPE ENDANGER EUROPE’S DOMESTIC PEACE AND FUTURE”

President Erdoğan continued: “The decision the EU is to make regarding North Macedonia and Albania’s accession negotiations will affect the future of the entire region. The EU conducting this process in a manner contravening its commitments will harm the peace and stability in the region as well as its own credibility.”

“We see that the EU’s enlargement policies have recently been hijacked by certain narrow-minded populist circles. Rising discriminatory and exclusionary trends across the continent endanger not only Europe’s domestic peace and future but also its potential to instill hope,” stated President Erdoğan, adding: “We believe that European leaders will act in a visionary manner and hold to the ideal of the Balkans’ integration with Europe.”

“TURKEY IS HOME TO OVER 4 MILLION REFUGEES”

Noting that Turkey is home to over 4 million refugees, 3.6 million of them Syrians, while the EU countries cannot even agree on refugee quotas counted only in tens, President Erdoğan underlined that Turkey has thus far spent more than 37 billion dollars for Syrian refugees alone according to the UN calculations.

Further stressing that Turkey has ranked first worldwide in humanitarian aid-national income ratio in the past two years, President Erdoğan said that Turkey has implemented every measure regarding the fight against irregular migration in every area, first and foremost at the Aegean Sea, with the number of irregular migrants caught in Turkey between the years of 2005 and 2017 surpassing one million. 

President Erdoğan continued: “Yet again through our measures, we have stopped to a great extent the humanitarian tragedies occurring at the Aegean Sea and decreased irregular crossings into Europe by 99 percent. Therefore, we have made priceless contributions to the security of the whole Europe, the Balkan countries in particular. However, we couldn’t see the humanitarian stance and the support we expected from our European friends in the meantime.”

Pointing out that countries like Turkey that share a border with Syria as well as transit regions like the Balkans were left to shoulder all the burden of irregular migration, President Erdoğan underscored that the pledges made to Turkey to provide it with contributions to be spent for Syrian refugees had not been delivered on, with the EU having released only 2.5 billion euros of its 6 billion euro promise so far.

“IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO REINFORCE THE DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE NETWORKS AMONG OUR COUNTRIES”

“We should boost our economic cooperation as the Balkan countries in order to increase our competitive strength in a globalizing world,” said President Erdoğan, and underscored: “As the world gets more and more digitalized, it is unimaginable for us to lag behind on this issue. It is important for us to reinforce the digital infrastructure networks among our countries.”

President Erdoğan further stressed: “As the Balkan countries, one of our most precious resources is our young populations with technology literacy. It is a must for us to become a region that meets the economic necessities of the 21st century and encourages technological innovation.”