Türkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed Türkiye’s willingness to mediate between India and Pakistan: “Our hope is that the declared ceasefire will evolve into permanent peace. Türkiye is ready to make every possible contribution to this end,” he said while addressing a trilateral summit in Azerbaijan.
Stressing that developments in the region revealed how important “solidarity among our countries is”, Erdogan said: “We are pleased with the ceasefire that ended the tension which erupted between Pakistan and India.
“I once again congratulate our brother Shehbaz and the Pakistani authorities for the calm and prudent attitude they displayed during the process,” he added.
“We are three brotherly countries sharing common ideals based on mutual affection, respect and trust nourished by the same climate of civilisation. We are further strengthening the bond among our countries.”
Noting that the three countries collectively had an economic size of $1.5 trillion, the Turkish president said, “We stand behind each and every step towards transforming our relationship into a strategic partnership.”
He noted that their countries were located in a highly strategic region and faced a variety of challenges.
“In the coming period, our foreign ministers will carry out the required work to institutionalise our trilateral cooperation and they will prepare a strong framework that reflects the common vision of our countries,” he said, mentioning the trade, energy, defence and counterterrorism fields.
The president also noted plans to cooperate in transport, education, energy security, food supply security and renewable energy.
Erdogan also slammed Israel’s “relentless cruelty and expansionist policies in Palestine”, terming it the “clearest example of crisis of the international system”. He called for increased global pressure on Israel for a permanent ceasefire and uninterrupted aid into the enclave.