Turkish President Erdogan on the SDF/YPG:

It is not possible for the terrorist organization to sustain its presence in the areas where it has been cornered.

From this point on, it is very clear that resorting to provocations would amount to suicide.

Nigeria police on Jan. 21 confirmed mass abductions in Kaduna State after initial denials, as armed bandits seized more than 160 villagers during church prayers.

READ MORE

Turkish President Erdogan:

We will certainly find those dirty hands that reach out to our flag, and we will absolutely hold those traitors to account.

READ MORE

Turkish President Erdogan:

The Kurds in Syria are our own brothers and sisters.

As their brothers and sisters, we know best what kind of oppression our Kurdish brothers and sisters in Syria were subjected to under the previous tyrannical regime.

Their existence was not recognised, they were not accepted as citizens, they were not even given identity cards. They were not allowed to speak their mother tongue or preserve their culture and traditions.

As Prime Minister, I raised these injustices in all my meetings starting in 2008. We persistently brought up the rights of our Kurdish brothers and sisters in Syria. We emphasised at every opportunity that the Kurds must be granted their fundamental rights.

When no one else would even mention these issues, we openly expressed the rights of the Kurds in Syria to our counterparts.

READ MORE

Turkish President Erdogan:

We have no designs on the territory of any country, and we do not interfere in the internal affairs of any state.

However, we will not allow any harm to be done to our country’s interests.

Turkish President Erdogan:

The terrorist organisation is one thing, my Kurdish brothers and sisters are another.

No one, wherever they may be, can hold my Kurdish brothers and sisters' will hostage.

No one can speak as if they are the sole representative of the Kurds.

READ MORE

Turkish President Erdogan:

With the latest developments in Syria, the future will be brighter than the darkness for Turks, Turkmen, Kurds, Arabs and all our other brothers and sisters.

With the elimination of terrorism, violence and weapons, every issue will be discussed on a political basis and resolved through consultation at the table.

READ MORE

Turkish President Erdogan:

The main thing is not division, but unity. The main thing is not fragmentation, but embracing each other with affection. The main thing is not splitting into small states, but joining forces by uniting.

Turks, Kurds and Arabs will unite today, as they have throughout history, with one heart, looking in the same direction, to solve the problems of our region together.

READ MORE

Turkish President Erdogan:

We have one single, shared umbrella: the brotherhood of Islam.

Turkish President Erdogan:

Long before our tribes and our ethnic identities, it is our faith that brings us together — our belief, our call to prayer, our holy book, and our Prophet.

NATO's Rutte:

Trump is right. We must protect the Arctic from Russian and Chinese influence.

READ MORE

Polish President Nawrocki:

Global GDP is consisted of 15% European Union involvement and 15% United States of America involvement, but in terms of security the United States of America is paying 65% for NATO and Europeans 35%.

NATO's Rutte on Greenland:

You can be assured that I’m working on this issue behind the scenes, but I cannot do that in public.

Q: You recently joined the NATO alliance. Is it just in time for its dissolution?

President Stubb: No. I think we are in the process of creating a stronger NATO. This is pretty much NATO 3.0.

Q: Trump said he is no longer thinking purely about peace. Who or what can defuse the tensions?

Stubb: Mark Rutte. (laughs)

Rutte: Thank you Alex!

Finnish President Stubb:

Can Europe defend itself without the Americans? Yes...

Finnish President Stubb:

Can the Finnish military defend itself against a Russian attack? Yes.

NATO's Rutte:

NATO is structured in such a way that the United States, Canada, and European allies are completely integrated.

That does not mean the U.S. is coming to Europe’s rescue, or Europe is coming to the rescue of the United States.

We are working completely integrated.

READ MORE

NATO's Rutte:

I know many of you criticize Trump. But do you really think that, without Trump, eight big economies in Europe—including Spain, Italy, and Belgium—and Canada would have reached the two-percent defense spending target in 2025?

At the beginning of the year, they were at just 1.5 percent. Without Trump, this would never have happened. They are all at two percent now.

READ MORE

Q: You said that Europe can defend itself without the Americans.

Stubb: Well, that’s not an exact quote... I love journalists.

Finnish President Stubb on Ukraine-Russia:

NATO hasn’t entered the scene yet, and the Russians have not been able to advance as much as they expected over the past four years.