Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan presented his vision for Turkey’s role in an increasingly turbulent world during a speech at a diplomatic forum in Antalya on Friday.
Erdogan, who is facing internal turmoil due to protests against the imprisonment of his main political rival, presented Turkey as a country that can overcome geopolitical divisions.
As a NATO member, Turkey has the alliance’s second-largest army and a developed defense industry. Erdogan and US President Donald Trump have often spoken of their close personal relationship.
Recently, Trump, during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu at the White House, advised him to be “reasonable” in relations with Ankara.
Referring to the trade tariffs imposed by Trump, he left open the possibility of a positive outcome for Turkey, which is included in the standard 10% tariff.
Erdogan has stated that they are doing their best to prevent the heated trade competition over customs tariffs from turning into something destructive.