President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a press conference on Friday following the Presidential Cabinet Meeting at the Presidential Complex, emphasizing Türkiye’s resilience, stability, and long-term strategic goals despite regional challenges and global uncertainties.

Erdoğan highlighted that a review of the past 11 months of 2025 shows Türkiye “successfully overcoming hardships” under the leadership of what he described as highly qualified and experienced government cadres.

“Türkiye continues to be an island of stability, peace, and security despite all the adversities in its vicinity,” he said, stressing that the past 23 years of infrastructure development have been key to the country’s current strength.

Addressing domestic security, Erdoğan noted what he called historic successes in the fight against terrorism.

“We are running a sensitive process aimed at crowning this fight. Through the terror-free Türkiye process, we are working to remove one of the biggest obstacles to our economic rise, peace, and brotherhood,” he stated.

The President underlined that Türkiye’s state tradition and national resilience ensure it will not succumb to threats.

“Türkiye will definitely achieve its goals, sooner or later,” he said, adding that Türkiye’s unity with Kurdish, Arab, and other regional communities has deep historical roots.

Erdoğan also touched upon the recent visit of Pope Leo XIV to Türkiye.

“During our talks in Ankara, we discussed issues of common concern, especially threats targeting the family institution,” he said.

The President highlighted discussions on the UN-backed Alliance of Civilizations initiative, the rise of Islamophobia in the West, and Israel’s continued attacks on civilian infrastructure in Gaza.

He noted Türkiye’s appreciation for the “principled stance” taken on Palestine by both the late Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV.

Erdoğan reiterated Türkiye’s commitment to preserving the ceasefire in Gaza and ensuring humanitarian aid reaches civilians, while reaffirming Türkiye’s position on protecting the historical status of al-Quds al-Sharif.

The Cabinet also reviewed Türkiye’s relations with the European Union. “Full membership continues to be our strategic priority despite the obstacles,” Erdoğan said.

Turning to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the President warned of increasing risks in the Black Sea:

“It is evident that the Russia-Ukraine war has reached a level that clearly threatens navigational safety. The targeting of commercial vessels in our exclusive economic zone on Friday indicates an alarming escalation.”

He stressed that such attacks, threatening maritime safety, human life, and the environment, are unacceptable.

“We issue necessary warnings to all parties,” Erdoğan stated, adding that Türkiye is prepared to contribute to peace efforts and is closely following recent diplomatic momentum toward ending the war.

The press conference reflected the government’s intention to manage domestic security, economic progress, and foreign policy challenges through coordinated, long-term strategies.

Erdoğan reiterated confidence that Türkiye’s resilience, unity, and strategic vision will enable it to continue navigating regional crises while sustaining internal stability. (ILKHA)