President Erdoğan to Al Jazeera: the Mecca pact, Hormuz, Syria, Gaza and the F-35s

Mr. President, we are conducting this interview on the 25th anniversary of the founding of the AK Party.

Coming together on such a day is truly a special joy for us. As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, inshallah, we will go on to celebrate many more quarter-centuries.

The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement

How do you assess the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement recently signed between Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia?

First of all, the Mecca agreement represented a different kind of transformation. The signing of this trilateral agreement in Mecca between Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan became an opportunity for us to deliver an important message to the world. The fact that this agreement was concluded in Mecca and that we achieved it as three countries gave us additional strength and conveyed a separate message to the world. I believe that Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia all concluded this agreement with a high level of satisfaction. May it be beneficial.

The fact that this agreement was signed during a difficult period between the US and Iran conveys an important message for world peace. I call it an important message for world peace because Türkiye is a country that stands for peace, and the choice of Mecca has been an important step for this peace. During the process between Iran and the US, we consistently emphasised our support for peace. As countries pursuing such a process in favour of peace, Pakistan, Türkiye, and Saudi Arabia have established themselves as advocates of peace. As advocates of peace, we will continue along this path in the period ahead as countries that pursue peace.

Is the collective defence understanding in the Mecca Agreement similar to NATO’s Article 5?

Let me put it this way. As you know, just as NATO’s Article 5 provides for collective defence, the collective defence understanding here similarly means that, should any difficulty arise, these three countries will have the opportunity to take the necessary steps together. Whether it concerns Türkiye, Saudi Arabia or Pakistan, if any one of these three countries comes under attack, since this is a collective defence pact, the three countries will be able to defend one another against any such attack.

Could other countries join the Mecca Agreement? Egypt, for example?

Other countries may join these three at any time. It does not have to remain limited to Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan; other countries may also join us. We made this clear when we signed the agreement. We said, ‘If other countries wish to join in the period ahead, we welcome them,’ and that remains our position.

If Egypt wishes, it too can reach an agreement with these three countries, and the door is also open to Egypt.

The US-Israel war with Iran and the Strait of Hormuz

How do you assess the US-Israel war with Iran and the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz?

My hope is for peace to be achieved as soon as possible. The continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz is a problem. We need to reopen this traffic as soon as possible and restore the flow of global oil traffic without delay so that this abundant flow of oil around the world is not interrupted, inshallah. We are in favour of this, and Iran is likewise in favour of it. We hope that maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz will be reopened free of charge; that would be a much more appropriate course of action. Making passage free of charge would be highly beneficial in terms of reopening traffic through the Strait.

What is Türkiye’s position on Tehran’s attacks on the Gulf states following the US-Israeli attacks on Iran?

We are absolutely not in favour of war in this region; we are in favour of peace. But Israel is the main actor in this war. Israel has consistently encouraged the war in this region and has taken a pro-war stance. Because of its pro-war stance, other countries have suffered significant consequences. Israel has been primarily responsible for this as well.

How do you assess the mediating role of Qatar and Pakistan in efforts to find a solution between the US and Iran?

Both countries have undertaken important responsibilities in this regard, and I believe this will continue in the period ahead. We will all join hands and, above all, continue on our path by preserving our unity and solidarity as Muslims.

“Inshallah, I will also visit Damascus as soon as possible”

How do you assess relations with Syria’s new administration led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa, and Israel’s attacks on Syria?

Our state institutions have very good relations with Syria, and we are maintaining this unity and solidarity. Syria is our brotherly country, and we will never leave Syria alone. During this process, Syria will see the care and attention of its brothers, so they should have no doubt.

How is Türkiye supporting Syria’s stability?

We are doing whatever is required of Türkiye for Syria’s stability, and we will continue to do so to the fullest extent.

What was Türkiye’s role in the process that led to the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime?

Praise be to Allah, both President al-Sharaa and the relevant officials know this very well. We have done everything that was required of us to the fullest extent. We will continue to do so in the period ahead. Inshallah, I will also visit Damascus as soon as possible.

Israel’s attacks on Lebanon

How do you assess Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s visit to Türkiye and relations between the two countries?

The attacks against Lebanon deeply sadden us. We had a meeting with Mr President on this matter. In the period ahead, we will continue to provide Lebanon with whatever support we can. We attach importance to US support for the process in Lebanon. We need to save Lebanon from this ring of fire by achieving this.

What would you like to say about Israel’s attacks on Lebanon?

Currently, Israel is the aggressor. Lebanon is currently under constant Israeli attacks. We need to free Lebanon from these attacks as soon as possible. We have discussed this issue with the US, and we continue to do so. We also discussed it with Mr Trump during his visit to Türkiye. Of course, we will continue to discuss it with him in the period ahead.

“We cannot leave Gaza on its own”

Israel’s attacks on Gaza are continuing. What is Türkiye’s position?

We cannot leave Gaza on its own. We have fulfilled our responsibilities regarding Gaza to date, and we will continue to do so from now on.

Hamas has agreed to adhere to the terms of the ceasefire, make concessions on the governance of Gaza and accept the collection of its weapons in order to move to the second phase. How do you assess this?

Hamas has demonstrated all the sincere solidarity it can, but there has been no such positive approach from Israel. They continue to attack Lebanon and Gaza with their aggressive stance.

Are you discussing the issue of Israel with President Trump?

I see that Trump is uncomfortable with these developments. We, for our part, are making all the necessary warnings in this regard. We will continue to do so in the period ahead.

How do you assess the hostile rhetoric towards Türkiye from Israeli politicians and in the media?

Look, we are not discussing war with you; we are discussing peace. We are talking about how we can achieve peace around the world. But if anyone were to attack Türkiye with the intention of waging war rather than pursuing peace, Türkiye would not shy away from war or back down. Let me be absolutely clear on this. We would not want such a situation to arise.

Sudan and Libya

What is the state of relations with Sudan?

I am not optimistic about the developments in Sudan, but we continue to extend all possible support to the country. We also enjoy very good relations with the President in this regard. Sudan has, in fact, a moderate and exemplary system of governance. Mr President was our guest recently, and we held discussions with him. Under the circumstances, I consider Sudan’s leader truly worthy of leading the country.

How do you assess developments in Libya?

Our relations with Libya remain firmly on track. We will continue to stand by Libya in the steps taken. In particular, as the Turkish Petroleum Corporation, we have taken and continue to take steps towards jointly developing and making use of Libya’s oil reserves.

Relations with the US and the F-35s

What do you expect from the United States, particularly regarding Türkiye’s return to the F-35 programme?

Naturally, we now expect President Trump to follow through on his commitment concerning the F-35 fighter jets. The President has given us his word on the F-35s, and it is important to Türkiye that he honour that commitment. We are now waiting for him to follow through.

What are the most important issues on the Türkiye–US agenda?

There are many. We have projects relating to the defence industry, as well as steps we have taken to expand trade and further steps we plan to take.

Does Israel have a place in Türkiye–US relations?

We have never, under any circumstances, brought Israel to the table in this context. Our counterpart in this regard is the United States. We discuss these matters with the United States and take our steps accordingly, and we will continue to do so.

“Our relations with Russia are in good standing”

What is the state of relations with Russia?

Our relations with Russia are in good standing. We maintain regular contact through telephone diplomacy. The relevant ministers on our side are in constant contact with their counterparts in Russia, and they likewise speak regularly with our ministers. This is how we maintain our dialogue.

How do you assess the current state of the Turkish military?

We have a strong military and a strong gendarmerie. Our military operates in a spirit of unity and solidarity in and of itself. The order and structure of our military, and the unity and solidarity with which it operates, are a source of genuine satisfaction for everyone. Our military stands united, in solidarity and as one, and it continues to move forward in this spirit. It has no involvement in politics.

“The European Union is not our priority”

How do you assess relations between Türkiye and the European Union?

Europe has excluded Türkiye for 53 years and does not appear to intend to admit us in the near future either. But we have not closed our door. We still consider joining the EU. It’s all right in either case. The EU is not our priority, but we keep telling them, “You'll be the ones to lose out, not Türkiye.”

What would you like to say about Türkiye’s future?

Keep following the AK Party government in Türkiye. With the AK Party, Türkiye is heading towards a much stronger future, and no one should have any doubts about it. Inshallah, Türkiye will move into the future with far greater strength and steadfastly continue on its path. Türkiye will have a very different standing when it comes to global peace.

Finally, do you have a message for the Arab world?

I extend my greetings and warm regards to all of them. We have affection for them all. We are one; we stand together, and together we are strong. Let us not hurt or offend one another; let us continue to stand together.