"India is our greatest trade partner in South Asia and we have great potential to enjoy primarily in the field of economy and many others," said Erdogan.
Sept 11,
2023. Posted by Balkan
Periscope - Hellas
New Delhi
G20 Summit
2023: After the conclusion of a successful G20 Summit in New Delhi, Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivered a major jolt to Pakistan by calling
India as his country’s ‘greatest trading partner’. Pakistan was believed to be
Turkey’s largest partner in trade and investment.
“India is
our greatest trade partner in South Asia and we have great potential to enjoy
primarily in the field of economy and many others,” said Erdogan during a press
conference in New Delhi after a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Notably,
earlier this year, India went all-out to help Turkey as well as Syria after the
countries suffered devastating earthquakes under Delhi’s ‘Operation Dost’.
India dispatched several shipments of medicines, protection safety tools and
diagnostic kits for the quake-hit nations.
Erdogan
also thanked PM Modi for a gracious and successful term of G20 presidency and
also for the hospitality he and his delegation received in New Delhi.
We’ll be
proud to have India as permanent member of UNSC: Erdogan
The Turkish
President said that his country would be proud to see India as a permanent
member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), but said that the world
was bigger than five countries and advocated for a rotational mechanism like in
G20.
“A country
like India being there on the UN Security Council, we would be proud. But as
you now, the world is bigger than larger than five. And when we say the world
is larger than five, what we mean is that it's not only about the US, UK,
France, China and Russia. What we say is all of them, we should only have
permanent members.,” he said while replying to a question on India’s permanent
UNSC membership.
He also
highlighted that countries involved in UN have grown to 195 and called for a
rotational mechanism so that each of these nations can promote their interests
in a global platform.
Any
initiative isolating Russia will fail, says Turkey
On the
topic of animosity between Western countries and Russia over the Ukraine
conflict and the Black Sea grain deal, Erdogan said that any initiative
isolating Moscow is “bound to fail”. He said that both Russia and Ukraine need
to be brought together to advocate escalating conflicts.
“We believe
that any step that may escalate the tensions in the Black Sea should be
avoided... In order to support the global food security, food supply security,
we are going to bring together the Food Supply Security Study Group, both
Russia, Ukraine, as well as the United Nations, and with our stakeholders
coming from the international community, we are going to have continuous
talks...," he told reporters.
Turkey has
been steadfast in persuading Russia to rejoin the Black Sea grain deal, after
the latter’s withdrawal resulted in a spike of food prices and increased the
risk of food insecurity in several countries. Russia and Turkey are also
enjoying growing trade relations.
Erdogan on
India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor
PM Modi
made yet another historic achievement by launching the India-Middle East
Economic Corridor. The initiative will consist of two separate corridors --
East Corridor connecting India to West Asia/Middle East and Northern Corridor
connecting West Asia or Middle East to Europe.
Erdogan
said that all Gulf countries are involved in the project and that the United
Arab Emirates (UAE), Iraq and Turkey are acting sensitively and quickly on the
matter and tying it all the way into Europe.
“We hope to
be able to implement this project. We're working on it, and as we speak, our
ministers of foreign relations and ministers of transportation work together.
And we will try and work to be able to implement this in the coming couple of
months...,"
Erdogan had
arrived in New Delhi on Friday for the G20 Summit with his wife, the first lady
of Turkey Emine Erdogan. He was received by Shantanu Thakur, Minister of State
for Ports, Shipping and Waterways of India.
Meanwhile,
PM Modi on Sunday announced the conclusion of the G20 Summit and proposed to
hold a virtual G20 session in November to review the suggestions and proposals
made at the forum.