Speaking at the 34th Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC) in Istanbul, President Erdogan gave important messages from regional unity in the Muslim word to reform in the United Nations.
Emphasizing the importance of cooperation, Erdogan highlighted the importance of regional unity among Muslim countries and stated, “The more we boost our trade among COMCEC members, the stronger we will be.”
More, President Erdogan touched upon the current protectionist policies pursued by government leaders, which can eventually push forward global trade wars. In an extraordinary comment reflecting on the U.S.-imposed trade war and the hegemony of the U.S. dollar in the global economy, Erdogan stated, “In order to break the shackles of imperialism, it is of critical importance to use local currencies in trade amongst ourselves.” This remark is expected to have a triggering effect on trade relations among countries that have suffered from the hegemony of the U.S. dollar in the global market.
In addition to hegemony in global trade, Erdogan also touched upon the “dirty games” pursued by some in the international system in order to set Muslims against each other. He also added, “We should no longer fall into the traps set up by those who act with the logic that a drop of petrol is more valuable than a drop of blood.”
Before commenting on the current humanitarian situations in Palestine, Syria, and Yemen, President Erdogan re-emphasized his call that urgent reform is required in the United Nations. Known for his motto “the world is bigger than five,” Erdogan called for all members of the UN to have a seat on the Security Council by stating, “All members of the UN must be entitled to be permanent members.”
Moving on to the Middle East, Erdogan argued that the scheme of ‘Great War’ is the reason behind the civil wars, crises, and conflicts in the Muslim world. Criticizing U.S. policies, President Erdogan added that “We will oppose the creation of any new “terror states” in our region by the pretext of Daesh.”
Commenting on terror in the global sense and the unresolved conflict in Syria, President Erdogan said, “We will put things in order in the Syrian conflict, not others. From Berlin to Paris and Brussels to Moscow, we will oppose the murder of innocents by terrorists. We will encourage our citizens to visit Jerusalem and prevent occupiers to turn off the candles of Jerusalem. We will be the first ones to say no to terrorist organizations like FETO, the PKK, and Al-Qaeda, and will not allow them to darken our future. We will increase our voice against oppression and injustice before anyone else.”
*Written by Selahattin Emre Celebi
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