Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the country's advancements in its defence industry have shown the world the power of the Turkish Armed Forces.
Erdogan congratulated graduates at the Turkish Military Academy's graduation ceremony on the centenary of Victory Day in Ankara.
(AA)
Türkiye has acted as a "game changer" due to its experience in the fight against terrorism and its advancement in the defence industry, the country's president says.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended the Turkish Military Academy's graduation ceremony on the centenary of Victory Day in Ankara on Tuesday.
"Türkiye has become a country that preempts instead of lagging behind, by adopting a strategy of preventing threats at their root," Erdogan said, speaking at the ceremony.
He said that Ankara made the "first big and serious blow" to the Daesh terrorist group, which was a major regional threat, via its Operation Euphrates Shield in northern Syria.
"Followed by operations Olive Branch, Peace Spring and Spring Shield, we showed the entire world the power of Turkish Armed Forces in protecting the interests of our country and to ensure peace in the region," he said.
READ MORE:Türkiye to continue with anti-terror operations: President Erdogan
President Erdogan at graduation ceremony of the Turkish military academy:
- Our army is of high quality, must be supported - We’ve taken on game-changing role in defence - Türkiye is increasingly effective in its region - 80% of our defence industry is domestic, its increasing pic.twitter.com/7HdFIBDfgU— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) August 30, 2022
More manpower
The Turkish president also criticised the hostile attitudes of the country's "so-called allies" and the support those allies give to other hostile entities.
He added that Türkiye weighs the pros and cons of its existing political relationships, but does not hesitate to establish new partnerships.
On Türkiye's military education and training system, Erdogan said the country has now "completely abandoned" the system "damaged by the putschist mentality for 70 years."
"Global and regional developments indicate that we need to reinforce our army with more qualified personnel and more manpower," he said, adding that Türkiye will use all of its "energy, concentration and opportunities for this matter in the future."
READ MORE:Erdogan: Türkiye's 1922 offensive most successful example of all-out war
Source: AA
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterates the call for a two-state solution at a press conference with visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Erdogan says Türkiye continues its longstanding solidarity with Palestine in the “strongest way”.
(AA)
Recent steps to normalise Türkiye’s ties with Israel will not weaken the country’s support for Palestine, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stressed.
“The steps taken in our relations with Israel will in no way diminish our support for the Palestinian cause,” Erdogan told a joint news conference in the capital Ankara with his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday.
Abbas’s three-day visit comes as Türkiye and Israel take steps to normalise ties, including last week’s decision to restore full diplomatic relations and reappoint ambassadors and consuls general after a four-year hiatus.
Erdogan said Türkiye continues its longstanding solidarity with Palestine in the “strongest way”.
“Türkiye, which has recognised the Palestinian state from the moment it was proclaimed, defends the vision of a two-state solution on every platform,” he added.
Ankara rejects any actions aimed at changing the status of Jerusalem or the Al Aqsa Mosque, said Erdogan, adding: “We conveyed this to our Israeli counterparts.
”Palestine supports Türkiye’s efforts to normalise relations, he said, as Türkiye’s dialogue with Israel will give it a better chance to defend the Palestinian cause.
Earlier in the day, Erdogan welcomed Abbas with an official ceremony at the presidential complex in the capital Ankara.
READ MORE:Türkiye's stance on Palestine will not change: Cavusoglu
The steps taken in our relations with Israel will in no way diminish our support for the Palestinian cause — Türkiye’s President Erdogan pic.twitter.com/pCfowBIhbU
The latest edition of the games will see more than 4,000 athletes from at least 55 member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation competing for 355 medals.
The first Islamic Islamic Solidarity Games were held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in 2005.
(Murat Kula / AA)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has officially opened the fifth edition of the Islamic Solidarity Games in the central Anatolian city of Konya, Türkiye.
Erdogan declared the games open on Tuesday at a dazzling opening ceremony, which was also attended by Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev along with dignitaries from several nations.
The sporting event, which will be held from August 9-18, was originally planned to be held in 2021.
It was postponed to 2022 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Light shows was held during the opening ceremony of the 5th Islamic Solidarity Games in Konya, Türkiye.
(Mustafa Ciftci / AA)
More than 4,000 athletes from at least 55 member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation will compete in 24 sports, ranging from archery to basketball and judo to swimming for 355 medals.
The Islamic Solidarity Games is an event held by the Islamic Solidarity Sports Federation (ISSF).
The games aim to "support the development of the athletes of the Islamic geography and to increase the culture of brotherhood and solidarity among the athletes," according to the event website.
LIVE: Türkiye’s President Erdogan attends opening ceremony of Islamic Solidarity Games in Konya province https://t.co/pptEQU6CHo
Dries Mertens and Lucas Torreira landed in Türkiye on weekend and were welcomed like superstars by the Galatasaray fans.
Dries Mertens and Lucas Torreira landed in Türkiye on weekend and were welcomed like superstars by the Galatasaray fans.
(AA)
Galatasaray has announced that Uruguayan midfielder Lucas Torreira and Belgian attacker Dries Mertens have both joined the Turkish club.
According to the Istanbul team’s website, the Lions will pay €6 million ($6.1 million) to English side Arsenal for Torreira, who signed a contract with Galatasaray for four seasons, and €2.75 million ($2.8 million) per season to the Uruguayan player.
"I'm very happy with the decision I made, it was a well-thought one," the 26-year-old Torreira told the club's TV.
"The most important thing is to try to get used to the city, also to get to know the club, my team mates. I want to train already," he added.
Torreira, who joined Premier League club Arsenal in 2018, formerly made appearances for Atletico Madrid (2020-2021) and Fiorentina (2021-2022) on loan. The 26-year-old also has 39 caps for the Uruguayan national team so far.
Galatasaray Club signed a 4-year contract with Uruguayan midfielder Lucas Torreira.
(AA)
'Happy and excited'
Mertens, on the other hand, signed with the Lions for one year (with another optional year) and will get €2.9 million ($2.96 million) per season and €1.1 million ($1.12 million) as a signing fee.
"It was an honour to get an offer from Galatasaray," Mertens said in a Twitter post.
"I'm happy and excited."
Belgium national Mertens, who has 21 goals in 105 caps, played for Dutch clubs PSV Eindhoven and Utrecht before joining Serie A team Napoli.
The 35-year-old Martens bagged two Italian Cups (2014, 2020) with the Blues, where the versatile winger became the club's record goalscorer.
Fans of the record 22-times Turkish champions welcomed the two players at an airport on Saturday as they arrived for final medical checks.
Galatasaray signed a 1+1 year contract with Belgian striker Dries Mertens.
(AA)
The vehicle, named TOGG, is planned to be on Türkiye's roads in 1st quarter of next year, said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
TOGG aims to produce 1 million vehicles in five different segments by 2030.
(AA)
Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has taken the latest prototype of the TOGG, the country's first indigenously developed car, out for a test drive.
"We're hopefully going to hold the official opening of TOGG's Gemlik Factory on October 29," Erdogan said ashe attended an award ceremony at the Gebze Informatics Valley in the northwestern province of Kocaeli on Saturday.
He added that the ceremony would also mark the completion of the brand's first mass-produced vehicle.
TOGG is set to hit the roads in Türkiye in the first quarter of 2023.
Erdogan said: "We'll put Türkiye's automobile at the service of our nation and the world, despite those who say: 'You can't do it, you can't produce it, you can't sell it, even if you do produce it.'"
Established in 2018, Türkiye's Automobile Joint Venture Group (TOGG) introduced the country's first electric vehicle prototype in December 2019.
TOGG aims to produce 1 million vehicles in five different segments by 2030.
Diplomatic missions of the US and the UK have separately hailed Türkiye for diplomacy to broker deal over grain stuck for months due to ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The first grain-laden ship to leave Ukraine since the conflict with Russia began on Feb. 24 continues to sail to Lebanon after Wednesday's inspection by a team from the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) in Istanbul.
(Reuters)
The diplomatic missions of the US and the UK in Türkiye separately hailed Ankara for efforts to resume export of Ukrainian grain stuck for months due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The first grain-laden ship to leave Ukraine since the conflict with Russia began on February 24 continues to sail to Lebanon after Wednesday's inspection by a team from the Joint Coordination Center (JCC) in Istanbul.
“We welcome the arrival of the cargo ship Razoni in Istanbul today as a vital step towards mitigating the global food security crisis. We applaud Türkiye for its diplomacy to ensure safe passage of grain from Ukraine to global markets,” the US consulate general in Istanbul said on Twitter.
The Sierra Leone-flagged cargo ship Razoni, carrying over 26,500 tons of corn, anchored off the Turkish coast near the Black Sea entrance of the Istanbul Strait on Tuesday night for joint inspections. It departed from Ukraine's port of Odesa on Monday under a historic deal brokered by Ankara last month.
The inspections lasted over an hour, and after getting a security clearance in Istanbul, the ship passed through the Turkish Straits en route to the port of Tripoli in Lebanon.
Separately, in his first video message in Türkiye, Ajay Sharma, British Embassy’s Chargé d'Affaires, said the Ukraine grain deal was only possible because of the diplomatic efforts led by Türkiye and the UN.
“We, as the UK, attach great importance and support to this agreement. This diplomatic success is indeed crucial to eliminating the threat to food security and ending the grain blockade of Ukraine,” Sharma added.
He said the UK will continue to support the implementation of the agreement as it is in the world's interest.
Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed the deal on July 22 to reopen three Ukrainian ports – Odessa, Chernomorsk, and Yuzhny – for grain export.
The JCC opened on July 27 comprising representatives from Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine to enable safe transportation by merchant ships of commercial foodstuffs and fertilizers from the three key Ukrainian Black Sea ports.
Türkiye's car exports neared $4.6 billion in the January-June period as the country sold vehicles to 97 countries, along with autonomous regions and free zones, according to data by Uludag Automotive Industry Exporters' Association on Saturday.
In this period, the share of passenger cars in the exports of the automotive industry was 30.1%, exceeding $4.59 billion.
France, Türkiye's second main market in the automotive sector, topped the list of countries in the country's car exports.
In the first half of the year, exports to France decreased by 30% to $659 million compared to the same period last year.
The second country in Türkiye's passenger car exports was the UK.
In the January-June period of last year, $395 million worth of passenger cars were sold, while the figure reached $522.78 million in the same period this year.
Passenger car exports to Spain, which ranks third, increased from $405.86 million to $456.7 million.
Türkiye's exports to France, the UK, and Spain accounted for 35.7% of the country's total passenger car exports in the January-June period, while Italy and Germany ranked fourth and fifth, respectively.
