QA-49, 28 September 2017, Statement of the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Hüseyin Müftüoğlu, in Response to a Question Regarding the French President Macron’s comment on Turkey referring to the Balkans during his speech

President Macron, in a speech regarding his reflections and recommendations on the future of the EU, made an unfortunate statement with reference to the Balkans, while ignoring the contributions of Turkey as a vital element for a strong Europe.

It is not easy to know and understand the Balkans. The approach that considers the region as a field of competition belongs to those who are not aware of the realities of the region. Essentially, this wrong approach underlies the problems experienced in the Balkans.

We recommend to those who are interested in learning the constructive role of our country, including its contribution to democratic processes in the Balkans, to read the studies on the contributions of Turkey to the political and economic stability of the region, not the reports of certain circles recently trying to defame Turkey’s endeavors in the Balkans based on mutual cooperation.