Turkish president says region paying ‘heavy economic price’ of attacks on Iran

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that the region is now paying a “heavy economic price” for attacks targeting Iran even before the Russia-Ukraine war has ended.

“Before the Russia-Ukraine war has ended, our region is now paying the heavy economic price of attacks on Iran,” Erdogan said at a ceremony marking the reopening of Selimiye Mosque for worship in Turkiye’s western city of Edirne.

He said the region and the world are going through one of the most critical periods since World War II, with one crisis following another before the previous one is resolved.

“We are living through days when the sounds of missiles and bombs drown out the cries of children,” Erdogan said. “No one can predict what will happen tomorrow or where weapons will erupt.”

Erdogan also said bloodshed continues in Gaza and Lebanon.

“In Gaza and Lebanon, Zionist killers continue to shed blood by trampling on every law, rule and principle,” he said.

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The president added that, while problems in the Black Sea persist, “new plots” are being laid and “new games” are being played in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Erdogan said Turkiye is working to keep itself away from regional turmoil while continuing its politics of services and development.

Referring to Turkiye’s efforts for a “terror-free Turkiye,” Erdogan said Ankara aims to permanently resolve a decades-old problem.

“We want to fully remove the dark shadow of terrorism first from our country and then from our region,” he said. “We have covered very significant ground on the path to this goal so far, and hopefully we will further increase our pace.”

“Our only concern is the peace and security of 86 million people. Our only goal is to build the Century of Turkiye,” he added.

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