Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the world has descended into chaos where “the rule of the powerful prevails”, accusing leading states of trampling on the very principles they claim to uphold.
Speaking at an event in Ankara, Erdogan said on Tuesday the current period of instability began with attacks on Türkiye’s neighbour, Iran, and warned that global norms were being hollowed out.
“The world we live in has turned into a world full of chaos, where the rule of the powerful prevails,” he said.
Erdogan argued that principles such as sovereign equality, multipolarity and resolving disputes through diplomacy had been reduced to “idols” by those who once championed them.
“All those who pontificate about these principles do not hesitate to trample on them,” he said, accusing unnamed actors of abandoning universal values when it suits their interests.
He said the international community was passing through a period marked by the normalisation of hostility and the spread of conflict.
“In such times, Türkiye’s stance is crystal clear,” Erdogan said. “When it is an issue concerning all humanity and our region, of course, we will take a side. We will never be impartial.”
He said Ankara could not remain neutral when the peace and prosperity of its neighbours were undermined or when the future of the wider world was at stake.
“On the contrary, as the Republic of Türkiye, we advocate peace and stability. We stand for cooperation and solidarity, for universal values, justice and development,” he said.
Erdogan stressed that disputes should be resolved through dialogue rather than force.
“We believe problems can be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue. We are for negotiation rather than conflict, and for peace rather than war,” he said.
He added that Türkiye would not support what he described as “bandits” or perpetrators of genocide, and would continue working to ensure that people everywhere can live freely.
