TURKEY WARNS AND ACCUSES
Ankara will not support the entry of terrorist sponsors into NATO, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.
“Unfortunately, the meetings of the delegations of Turkey, Finland and Sweden did not go as we expected. Stockholm and Helsinki still allow terrorists to walk in their streets and continue to make mistakes in its relations with Turkey,” he said.
Besides Erdogan blamed Washington for supplying weapons and ammunition to organizations located in northern Syria, which Ankara believes are terrorists.
“We cannot ignore any threat to Turkey from northern Syria. We have neutralized more than 100 terrorists․ That process will continue. Ankara is not going to get permission from anyone, including the United States, to launch a new operation in Syria,” Erdogan said.
He expressed hope that Turkey-Israel relations will be normalized in the near future, and warned Greece about the inadmissibility of unfriendly attitude towards Ankara.
“Currently, there is no dialogue with the Greek Prime Minister. Why ․․․ I do not communicate with those who use the policy for their own interests,” he said.
Erdoոgan also said that Turkey expects the conflict in Ukraine to end peacefully, but the situation is getting worse day by day, he said.
The Greek Armed Forces have been brought to a high level of combat readiness in the eastern part of the Aegean Sea. The reason is the Efes-2022 military exercise of the Turkish Navy. About 10 thousand servicemen from 40 countries are taking part in the exercises.
The Greek side has stated that it will do everything possible to prevent a possible escalation.
IRAN'S RESPONSE TO TURKEY'S ACTIONS
A new military operation in Syria will not help Turkey solve its security problems, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said.
“Iran understands Turkey’s concerns, but the only way out is dialogue, as well as respect for Syria's territorial integrity, unity and national sovereignty,” he said.
According to Khatibzadeh, the experience of recent years shows that military operations in other countries not only do not contribute to the settlement of existing problems, but also have alarming humanitarian consequences and complicate the situation in the region.
RUSSIAN FORCES CONTINUE ATTACKS
Russian forces continue active offensive operations in the East, wanting to succeed at all costs, said Volodymyr Zelensky.
“The situation is very difficult, especially in the Donbas, the Kharkov region, in particular in Severodonetsk, Lisichansk, Bakhmut and other cities, but our defense forces are working,” he added.
He noted that a lot depends on both partners and arms supplies.
“We are waiting for good news, soon our army will surpass the Russian army in its capabilities,” Zelensky concluded.
EU DOES NOT COME TO AN AGREEMENT
Manfred Weber, the leader of the European People's Party (EPP) faction in the European Parliament, has spoken out against compromises for Budapest amid discussions over a Russian oil embargo.
“If the Hungarian Prime Minister blocks the sanctions against Russia, we will have to resolve the issue of the oil embargo without Budapest. Victor Orban must be made to understand that he cannot 'take hostage' the rest of the EU members,” the official said.
EU countries have not been able to agree on a sixth package of sanctions against Russia for more than three weeks. Hungary and a number of countries are against the Russian oil embargo, they believe it will have catastrophic consequences for their economies. German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck stated that the unity of the European Union has begun to crumble.
