The undivided Turkey‘s support for North Macedonia expressed the foreign minister of Turkey, Hakan Fidan, after the meeting he had yesterday in Skopje with his North Macedonian counterpart, Timco Mutsunski. Hakan Fidan during the his statements in Skopje used both the term “North Macedonia” as well as simply the term “Macedonia”.
“As you know, I have visited Macedonia and Skopje many times in various roles over the past 20 years. Turkey has strongly supported North Macedonia since its independence and will continue to do so. We had intensive talks today. We greatly value the cooperation, friendship and alliance with Macedonia. We discussed how we can upgrade this partnership. As Turkey, we express our interest in proceeding with the establishment of a High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council,” said Hakan Fidan.
The Turkish Foreign Minister also referred to the economic relations between the two countries. “Turkey aims to increase bilateral economic cooperation to two billion euros and we will continue to support Turkish companies to invest in the country,” said Turkey’s foreign minister.
“North Macedonia has a special place for me”, emphasized Hakan Fidan, according to a response from the Athens News Agency, and added that he believes that the Ottoman heritage is an important part of the country’s cultural heritage and they will continue cooperation in this area.
“The Turkish community in the country connects us closely, like the Stone Bridge in Skopje. We want to develop relations between all communities and to maintain this harmony in North Macedonia. I believe that the new government will have a positive approach regarding the requests for mother tongue teaching and infrastructure projects of the Turkish community. At the same time, I believe that the new government will have a sensitive approach to the fight against terrorism, led by “FETO”, because it is not only a threat to Turkey, but also to all countries where it is present. We expect North Macedonia to support more strongly the fight against “FETO”, the Turkish Foreign Minister added.
The Balkans, according to Hakan Fidan, are of geostrategic importance and this region contributes directly to the peace and stability of Europe. “We want to have peace and stability in all the Balkans, this is a key priority for us and as Turkey we are actively participating in this direction. Turkey in the Balkans always has a proactive attitude and we will intensify our efforts even more, thanks to the cooperation with North Macedonia, a country located in the heart of the Balkans”, emphasized the Turkish Foreign Minister.
According to him, Turkey also attaches great importance to strengthening military cooperation with North Macedonia. “In this context, I believe that issues such as military training and participation in military exercises will gain significant momentum in the near future. Our country’s defense industry companies occupy leading positions worldwide, and I would like to emphasize that these companies are ready to contribute to North Macedonia,” noted the Turkish Foreign Minister.
North Macedonia’s foreign minister said during the joint statements that “Turkey is a proven friend of ours and an ally in NATO.”
Timco Mutsunski characterized yesterday’s visit as an important moment in bilateral relations, and underlined that, as the first visit of a foreign minister since he assumed the duties of the foreign minister of North Macedonia, it is a strong confirmation of the increasingly strong strategic partnership.
“Traditionally, good relations positively influence economic cooperation. We share common positions with Turkey on security and regional issues. I informed him in particular about our path towards European integration, emphasizing that predictability is very important,” said the Foreign Minister of North Macedonia.
Timcho Muchunski added that “our country, since its independence, could count on Turkey as our friend and supporter for the achievement of our strategic goals.”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, during his visit to Skopje yesterday, also met with the Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Christian Mickoski and with the Speaker of the Parliament of the country, Afrim Gasi.
SYRIZA: This provocative Turkish stance did not succeed, it succeeded
SYRIZA – PS, with its announcement, “unequivocally condemns the very serious violations of the Prespa Agreement by the Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidanduring his visit to the Republic of North Macedonia and calls on the government to stop downplaying the Turkish provocations and to finally react forcefully”.
As SYRIZA emphasizes in the relevant announcement, “this provocative Turkish stance did not happen, it succeeded. It is a consequence of the political choices of the right-wing Mitsotakis government, which systematically pursues an opaque foreign policy causing damage to our national interests, avoiding all these years any active involvement with the Agreement in order to maintain its internal party balances, thus wasting the precious diplomatic capital that SYRIZA created trouble in the past. Indicative is the fact that the visit of the Turkish Foreign Minister is aimed at strengthening strategic relations with North Macedonia, while on the other hand New Democracy did not take care to develop bilateral strategic relations and the role of Greece in the neighborhood, ratifying the memoranda, signing new and proceeding with the convergence of the envisaged Supreme Councils of Strategic Cooperation, with the implications for our national interests now evident.
We call on the Prime Minister to stop the petty political and opaque exploitation of our national interests, as he has done both with Greek-Turkish relations and with the Prespa Agreement, and to take the appropriate diplomatic protest actions, so that Turkey can finally reconcile with the international law and reality”.
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#Reactions #provocative #statements #Turkish #Foreign #Minister #Skopje
Table of Contents
- 1 Here are some potential “People Also Ask” (PAA) questions related to the title “Turkey’s Undivided Support for North Macedonia: Strengthening Strategic Partnership”:
- 2 Here are some PAA (People Also Ask) related questions for the title “Undivided Support: Turkey’s Commitment to North Macedonia”:
Turkey’s Undivided Support for North Macedonia: Strengthening Strategic Partnership
In a recent visit to Skopje, Turkey’s Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, expressed his country’s unwavering support for North Macedonia, emphasizing the importance of strengthening their strategic partnership. During a meeting with his North Macedonian counterpart, Timco Mutsunski, Fidan reiterated Turkey’s commitment to supporting North Macedonia since its independence and pledged to continue doing so [[1]].
Fidan emphasized the significance of upgrading their partnership, highlighting the importance of economic cooperation, cultural heritage, and regional security. He expressed Turkey’s interest in establishing a High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council and increasing bilateral economic cooperation to two billion euros [[1]]. Additionally, Fidan emphasized the need for North Macedonia to support Turkey’s fight against terrorism, led by “FETO”, which poses a threat not only to Turkey but also to countries where it is present [[1]].
The Turkish Foreign Minister also underscored the importance of strengthening military cooperation with North Macedonia, citing the country’s geostrategic location in the heart of the Balkans. He believes that issues such as military training and participation in military exercises will gain significant momentum in the near future, with Turkey’s defense industry companies ready to contribute to North Macedonia [[1]].
North Macedonia’s Foreign Minister, Timco Mutsunski, characterized the visit as an important moment in bilateral relations, highlighting the increasingly strong strategic partnership between the two countries [[1]]. He emphasized the importance of good relations positively influencing economic cooperation and shared common positions with Turkey on security and regional issues [[1]].
The visit of the Turkish Foreign Minister was also met with negative reactions from Greece’s opposition party, SYRIZA, which condemned Fidan’s “provocative Turkish stance” and accused the Greek government of downplaying Turkish provocations and neglecting Greece’s national interests in the region [[1]].
Turkey and North Macedonia have a long history of cultural and economic ties, with Turkey being North Macedonia’s seventh-largest trading partner [[2]]. In 2017, Turkey exported $391 million worth of goods to North Macedonia, including aluminium bars, hot-rolled iron, and other products [[3]].
Fidan’s visit to Skopje reflects Turkey’s growing alliance with North Macedonia, which is crucial for maintaining peace and stability in the Balkans. As Turkey continues to strengthen its presence in the region, it is clear that its support for North Macedonia will remain a key priority.
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Undivided Support: Turkey’s Commitment to North Macedonia
In a recent meeting between Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his North Macedonian counterpart, Timco Mutsunski, Turkey reiterated its unwavering support for North Macedonia, emphasizing the importance of strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation in various areas.
Historical Ties and Cultural Heritage
Fidan, who has visited Macedonia and Skopje numerous times over the past 20 years, highlighted Turkey’s strong support for North Macedonia since its independence. He emphasized the significance of the Ottoman heritage in North Macedonia’s cultural identity and expressed Turkey’s willingness to continue cooperation in this area [[1]].
Economic Cooperation and Investment
The Turkish Foreign Minister announced Turkey’s aim to increase bilateral economic cooperation to two billion euros and pledged to support Turkish companies investing in North Macedonia. This move is expected to boost economic ties between the two countries.
Security and Regional Issues
Fidan emphasized the geostrategic importance of the Balkans, stressing Turkey’s commitment to promoting peace and stability in the region. He also underscored the need for North Macedonia to support Turkey’s fight against terrorism, specifically the “FETO” movement, which poses a threat not only to Turkey but also to other countries where it is present [[1]].
Military Cooperation and Defense
Turkey is eager to strengthen military cooperation with North Macedonia, with plans to enhance military training and participation in military exercises. Turkey’s defense industry companies, which hold leading positions worldwide, are ready to contribute to North Macedonia’s defense sector.
Strategic Partnership and NATO Alliance
North Macedonia’s Foreign Minister, Timco Mutsunski, characterized Turkey as a “proven friend” and NATO ally, highlighting the importance of strategic partnership between the two countries. Mutsunski also informed Fidan about North Macedonia’s path towards European integration, emphasizing the need for predictability.
Turkish Community and Infrastructure Projects
Fidan expressed his belief that the new government in North Macedonia will have a positive approach towards the requests of the Turkish community, including mother tongue teaching and infrastructure projects. He emphasized the significance of maintaining harmony among all communities in North Macedonia.
Travel Regulations and Accessibility
Turkish citizens are exempt from visa requirements when visiting North Macedonia, provided they do not exceed 90 days within 180 days [[2]]. Traveling between Turkey and North Macedonia is relatively easy, with flight options taking around 2 hours and 24 minutes, and costing between $60 and $330 [[3]].
Controversy and Criticism
Despite the positive developments, SYRIZA – PS has condemned Turkey’s stance as “provocative” and a violation of the Prespa Agreement, calling on the government to stop downplaying Turkish provocations.
Turkey’s commitment to North Macedonia is unwavering, with a focus on strengthening economic, security, and cultural ties between the two countries. As Turkey continues to support North Macedonia’s goals, including European integration, their strategic partnership is likely to intensify in the near future.
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