Fuat Oktay, Chairman of the Turkish Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee and AK Party Deputy from Ankara, emphasized that the NATO Summit to be held in Ankara will take place at a critical time and expressed hopes for strong messages of unity and solidarity from the summit.
Following the "4th Meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the Parliaments of Turkey and the Baltic Countries" held in Tallinn, Estonia, Oktay shared that they have been engaged in intensive contacts over the past two days.
"Stay Calm No Matter How Serious the Situation"
Oktay drew attention to serious concerns in regional countries, especially Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, due to the Russia-Ukraine War, emphasizing the need to focus on peace instead of war.
Within this framework, Oktay stated that they conveyed to Russia, Ukraine, and all Western allies the importance of remaining calm.
"No matter how serious the situation is, we emphasize the need to stay calm and that the solution in a calm environment is not war, should not be war, and will not be war in any form."
EU and Security Discussions
Oktay highlighted that the cooperation within NATO should also be supported at the European Union level. He stated that excluding Turkey at a time when Europe is trying to strengthen its security and defense preparations would not be appropriate.
Referring to the SAFE program, Oktay expressed that telling Turkey to "stay somewhat outside" while acting together in the security field is not a suitable approach.
Turkey-Estonia Relations and Economy
Oktay noted that high-level relations between Turkey and Estonia are progressing very positively, with close cooperation at both government and parliamentary levels.
He pointed out that the trade volume between the two countries has exceeded 600 million dollars and that cooperation in the defense industry has also increased. Oktay recalled that last year Turkish companies Otokar and Nurol sold land vehicles and mentioned a new 300 million dollar agreement related to ARCA.
Cybersecurity and Digitalization
Oktay shared that during the meetings they received a briefing from the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service and held comprehensive evaluations with Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, with cybersecurity and digitalization also on the agenda.
He stated that they observed Estonia's work in cybersecurity firsthand and that similar efforts are being carried out in Turkey under the Digital Turkey initiative, with cybersecurity becoming one of the highest priorities.
"The worst peace is better than the best war."
Oktay added that the next meeting will be held in Ankara next year.
