All news

Turkey could say yes to SCO, but won't say no to relations with West — Erdogan

According to the head of state, Turkey’s participation in the SCO+ summit confirmed its wish to diversify its economic, political, and strategic opportunities

ISTANBUL, September 2. /TASS/. Should Turkey join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), it won't abandon relations with the West, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said after participating in the SCO+ summit in Bishkek.

Turkey is currently a dialogue partner in the SCO.

"We have the potential to take our relations with the SCO to a new level in the coming period. I would especially like to emphasize that the prospect of Turkey’s membership in this organization does not mean breaking with any bloc or abandoning relations with the West," TRT Haber quotes Erdogan as saying.

According to him, Turkey’s participation in the SCO+ summit confirmed its wish to diversify its economic, political, and strategic opportunities.

"Turkey maintains bilateral trade and economic relations with the SCO member states. It is now clear to everyone that Turkey has enormous trade and economic potential across a vast territory stretching from China to Central Asia and from Russia to South Asia. In recent years, significant progress has been made in our relations with the organization, reflecting our multifaceted foreign policy approach. Turkey is a country capable of developing balanced relations with both the West and the East, and, accordingly, of deepening its ties. This approach strengthens Turkey’s wish to find solutions to global problems through cooperation and effective multilateral engagement," Erdogan noted.