Turkish President Erdogan, who arrived in New York after the Asian summit in Uzbekistan (SCO)
, continues his intense mediation action
.
It is precisely in Samarkand that he manages to intercept the mood of the Russian leader who launched the attack on Ukraine, to the point of revealing that Vladimir Putin: "He is showing that he is willing to put an end to this situation as soon as possible. ".
An impression that - says the "sultan" to the American Pbs - comes from how things are going ". Maybe in Samarkand Putin was perplexed by the other two Asian superpowers such as China and India, but" now it is rather problematic " also because "200 hostages will be exchanged following an agreement between the parties." A "significant step" according to the Turk, who on American soil continues to weave the web of mediation for an orderly end to the conflict
Erdogan's words do not escape even the British Guardian who adds "his goal is to put an end to this battle with peace".
The enlargement of NATO to the East
However, it remains in the original position on the expansion of NATO to the East and reiterates: Turkey will not lift the veto on the
entry of Sweden and Finland
into NATO as long as the two countries do not keep their promises and extradite the suspected terrorists of which Ankara asks for delivery.
"If these countries undertake a real fight against terrorism then they will have all the support of Turkey. The last decision is up to our Parliament. If they continue to support terrorists, they cannot enter NATO when terrorism fights it, it does not support it".
The two Scandinavian countries applied to join NATO in June, but Ankara's veto remains.
To give the green light, Turkey is asking for the surrender of alleged terrorists to whom Sweden and Finland guarantee political asylum.
Relations with the USA
Then he talks about relations between Turkey and the US "at the moment they are not idyllic", in open controversy over the issue of F16 fighter jets.
"The United States is making a mistake, we are an ally country and instead they are making political decisions towards us," she said.
The Turkish president refers to the agreement reached for kits to modernize Ankara's F16 fleet.
A $ 6 billion deal that includes the sale of 40 new generation F16 jets and kits to modernize another 79 aircraft.
An agreement on which, however, the US House of Representatives intervened, which blocked the sale and forced President Joe Biden to intervene and declare that the sale is "in the interest of the United States" and that in the previous 120 days "Turkey did not violate the sovereignty of Greece "." Turkey at this point must think about its own interests - Erdogan said yesterday -. What Greece says is not binding and they know it, for the rest we have no problems ".
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks to citizens in Central Park ahead of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York
While waiting for the UN General Assembly, the Turkish president, arriving in New York, took a walk in Central Park, in the center of the Big Apple.
There he found several New Yorkers and tourists, including some Ukrainians, to welcome him and thank him, "for what he did in Ukraine", for the important mediation in the conflict, for supplying drones to the Kiev army and "
for the wheat agreement
".
He shook hands and caressed children, taking photos and selfies.
In short, in recent months, the Turkish leader has undoubtedly increased his popularity internationally, working tenaciously to strike up a negotiation that would bring peace between Russia and Ukraine while only winds of war seemed to blow.
Not without taking into account the interests of his country in the global economic and commercial chessboard and making it more central on the international level.
There still remains the sultan's stubbornness on civil rights and freedoms in his Turkey, which still makes him not so popular at home.
His efforts however remain.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks with Turkish citizens in Central Park