Erdogan: Türkiye won't experience Europe's coming winter woes
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan commented on several foreign policy matters, including energy, Russia, and Greece before starting a three-day tour of the Balkans.
After his one-day trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Erdogan will visit Serbia and Croatia.
Europe will face "serious problems" this winter, but Türkiye does not have such issues, Türkiye's president has said.
Speaking on Tuesday in Ankara before embarking on a three-day Balkan tour, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, "Europe reaps what it sows," adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin reacts to European sanctions in a similar manner.
"Europe's attitude towards Mr Putin, its sanctions, brought Mr Putin – willingly or not – to the point of saying: 'If you do this, I will do that.'"
"He is using all his means and weapons. Natural gas, unfortunately, is one of them," Erdogan said.
Gas prices surged after the Russian energy company Gazprom announced that natural gas shipments from the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Europe have been halted indefinitely.
Gazprom shut down the pipeline between August 31 and September 2 for repairs, and supplies were scheduled to resume after September 2, but the company announced the pipeline would remain closed.
Turkish President Erdogan on Greek violations of international air space:
— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) September 6, 2022
- Greece is aware of our sensitivity, hopefully they’ll be coming to their senses
- Greece should think twice before taking decisions regarding relations with us; otherwise we will do what is necessary pic.twitter.com/kOpnGNX5OT
Balkan tour commences
Speaking to reporters before leaving for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Erdogan said that Ankara pursues policies in the Balkans that support its stability and development, as well as its integration process into Euro-Atlantic structures.
After Bosnia and Herzegovina, he will visit Serbia and Croatia.
"We are trying to avoid tensions while keeping our connection strong with this geography, where we have deep-rooted historical, human, and cultural ties. We support the development of the Balkans with the projects we have implemented," Erdogan said.
He added that Türkiye would be working to find a solution to the political crisis in Bosnia. Ankara would maintain its "fair and balanced" stance towards the region, he continued.
Erdogan listed the various ways Türkiye preserves strong relations and prevents conflicts in the region, especially noting the work of TRT Balkan, which broadcasts in local languages.
"TRT Balkan news platform broadcasts in local languages and as a result fills a very important gap in this regard," said Erdogan.
READ MORE: Greece's S-300 air defence system 'harassed' Turkish F-16s
Greece's harassment
The Turkish leader said that Ankara is in constant contact with NATO regarding Greece's harassment of Turkish jets, saying "our sensitivity persists with determination. Greece is aware of this and has thus chosen to clean up its act."
"All of a sudden, we can come at night," he said, reiterating a previous warning to Athens.
Turkish jets engaged in NATO missions over the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean seas on August 23 were harassed by a Russian-made S-300 air defence system stationed on the Greek island of Crete.
According to Turkish National Defense Ministry sources, Greece violated Türkiye’s airspace and territorial waters over 1,100 times in the first eight months of 2022.
READ MORE: Greece violated Türkiye's airspace, waters over a thousand times in 2022
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