Turkish President slams use of economic sanctions as ‘weapons’
Turkish President Rajab Tayyib Erdoghan has used his address to the United Nations General Assembly to criticize the use of sanctions as “weapons” against countries in an implicit reference to the United States.
“None of us can remain silent to the arbitrary cancellation of commercial agreements and the use of economic sanctions as weapons,” Erdoghan told the 73rd session of the General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.
The Turkish leader also warned of the repercussions of “unilateral decisions” for the entire world.
“The negative effects of these twisted developments will eventually affect all countries. We must all work together to prevent damage to the world trade regime as a result of such unilateral decisions,” he said.
Erdoghan further underlined the need for joint cooperation “to achieve the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals” and avoid a “new economic rupture.”
Elsewhere in his address, the Turkish president pointed to his country’s diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the crisis in Syria.
“By means of both our support to the Geneva and Astana Processes and the safe zones,...we try to make Syria a peaceful country once again. By clearing the Jarabulus and al-Rai regions from Daesh, and Afrin region from PKK-PYD-YPG terrorist organizations, we have turned an area of 4 thousand kilometers into a safe and peaceful place for millions of Syrians,” he said.
Turkey has been serving – along with Iran and Russia – as a mediator in the Astana process since January 2017.
Erdogan also called on all the parties to the Syria crisis to support a just and sustainable political solution to the conflict gripping the Arab country.
“Those who equip terrorists with tens of thousands of trucks and thousands of cargo planes loaded with arms for the sake of their tactical interests will most definitely feel sorrow in the future,” he added.
The US and Turkey have also been at odds over Washington’s policy of backing Kurdish militants in Syria.
SS
