Turkey attracted direct international investments worth $240 million last February.

This was stated in the “Bulletin of International Direct Investments in Numbers” published by the International Investors Association (YASED) on Wednesday.

Investment capital flows amounted to $217 million, and real estate sales to foreign citizens amounted to $152 million.

Subtracting the downside effect of divestments worth $15 million and debt instruments worth $114 million, international direct investments flowing into Turkey in February amounted to $240 million.

Ireland ranked first in direct international investments with 18 percent, followed by Germany with 15 percent, then the UAE with 13 percent, Italy with 10 percent, and Sweden with 8 percent.

The European Union countries’ proportion of direct international investments reached 61 percent of total investments in February.

The total value of foreign direct investments in Turkey since 2002 has reached more than $264 billion.

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The American newspaper “Politico” included Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whom it described as a “mediator”, among “the most powerful figures in Europe 2024.”

The newspaper prepared a list of 28 names from Europe for “Europe’s Most Powerful Personalities 2024” and classified them into 3 separate categories.

The Turkish president ranked fifth in the “Doers” category, and the newspaper described him as a “mediator.”

The newspaper mentioned in a profile of the Turkish president published on its website that he had sought to present himself as a “strong geopolitical leader” for a long time, and had survived a failed coup attempt in 2016.

It reported that Erdogan “recently made the most of the two biggest geopolitical crises, which are the Russian-Ukrainian war and the conflict between Israel and Hamas.”

His role in Ukraine and Gaza

It added: “Erdogan is one of the few people who have connections to the Kremlin and the Ukrainian president’s office at the same time, and he has assumed the mediation role since Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his forces to Ukraine in 2022.”

It also pointed out that the Turkish President led the grain shipping agreement through the Black Sea and strove hard for its continuation.

It noted that after the Hamas attacks on the Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip on October 7, Erdogan again wanted to play the role of “mediation.”

It explained that he held de-escalation talks with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, as well as the leaders of Egypt, Lebanon and Qatar.

Erdogan later sided with Palestine, describing Israel as the “occupier,” and stressing that “the West is the real culprit behind the massacre taking place in Gaza,” according to Politico.

“European officials are discussing ways to enhance cooperation with Erdogan”

The newspaper reported that Erdogan tried to bring himself back into the European Union’s orbit and used Sweden’s membership path in NATO to “depart” from the long-stalled path of Turkey’s membership in the European Union.

It pointed out that European Union membership is not currently being discussed in Turkey, and added: “However, European Union officials are looking for ways to enhance cooperation with Erdogan. This can be considered another geopolitical victory for the Turkish leader.”

In the same category, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni ranked first, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen ranked second, French President Emmanuel Macron ranked third, and the head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Andriy Yermak, ranked fourth.

Erdogan was followed by European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic, far-right Marine Le Pen, who competed in France’s presidential elections last year, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, and Britain’s main opposition Labor Party leader, Keir Starmer.

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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that Turkey has the right to defend itself against terrorist organizations such as the PKK, stressing the need for NATO to cooperate with Ankara in combating terrorism.

Stoltenberg explained in a statement to reporters on Monday that Ankara has legitimate concerns about terrorist organizations, noting that Turkey is the country most exposed to terrorist attacks among NATO countries.

He stressed that all NATO countries consider the PKK a terrorist organization.

Regarding Sweden’s accession to NATO, Stoltenberg said: “The Swedish government has fulfilled the promises it made to Turkey, and now it is time for the Turkish parliament to ratify Stockholm’s membership.”

On November 16, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Turkish Parliament decided to postpone discussion of the draft law approving the protocol for Sweden’s accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

On October 23, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed Sweden’s accession protocol to NATO.

In mid-July, the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, hosted a tripartite meeting that included President Erdogan, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

Following the meeting, a tripartite statement confirmed that Ankara would refer the protocols for Sweden’s accession to the alliance to Parliament for ratification, and that Stockholm would support efforts to revive Turkey’s accession process to the European Union.​​​​​​

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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Turkey played a constructive and important role in exporting grains from Ukraine, expressing his thanks to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his personal contributions in this regard.

This came in a press conference by the German Chancellor and the Turkish President as part of a one-day working visit by Erdogan to the capital, Berlin.

Scholz explained: “Turkey played a constructive and important role in exporting grains from Ukraine. I thank President Erdogan for his personal contributions.”

The German Chancellor pointed out that they are dealing with many crises in the world.

He stated that they agreed with President Erdogan to end “Russian aggression” against Ukraine.

He recalled that the proposal regarding the protocol for Sweden’s accession to NATO had been submitted to the Turkish Parliament for ratification, expressing his belief that Sweden would become a member of it.

Referring to the Israeli attacks on Gaza, Scholz said that they “unequivocally condemn Hamas.”

He added: “We will talk about what we can do in light of the tension in the region. We are concerned about the spread of conflict in the region.”

He continued: “Israel has the right to defend itself in accordance with international law, and we say that every life has equal value. What the people of Gaza are going through also saddens us, and this year we are also providing assistance worth 160 million euros.”

He continued: “The two-state solution must be the ultimate goal. Israel’s right to exist is a must for us, and there is no place for anti-Semitism in our country.”

Regarding the number of Muslims in his country, Scholz said, “Five million Muslims have a place here in Germany, and we are against those who deny them.”

The German Chancellor stated that there are great tensions in the Middle East and that what is happening in the region concerns them.

He added: “It is true that we partly differ in opinions. It is important to speak directly in difficult times.”

He indicated that he would discuss with President Erdogan the tangible progress regarding Turkey’s membership in the European Union, adding: “We have fallen behind our potential in relations, and we will see what kind of progress we can achieve here.”

Speaking about the importance of irregular migration, Scholz said: “We want to reduce it. A good agreement was reached (with Turkey) in 2016. We want to contribute to improving (this agreement) in the European Union and maintaining it. This agreement is for our mutual benefit.” .

He stressed that the German and Turkish peoples have close relations in many aspects, indicating that the importance of this relationship was demonstrated by the aid provided by Germany during the earthquake of February 6, 2023 in Turkey.

In the question-and-answer section of the press conference, Scholz reiterated Germany’s support for Israel’s right to defend itself and said: “We must reduce the number of civilian casualties.”

He stressed that Germany had taken steps at an early stage to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, and accused Hamas of “holding Gaza hostage.”

He pointed out that negotiations had been held with countries such as Egypt, Qatar and Turkey to release the hostages and allow foreign citizens in Gaza to leave the region, recalling that this issue was also raised at the European Union summit.

Scholz said that Hamas should be prevented from repeating the attacks of last October 7, stressing the need to support the two-state solution as a perspective for the future.

He pointed to the importance of Turkey’s support for the Black Sea Grains Initiative, adding: “There was very good mediation (by Turkey). Unfortunately, and very sadly, Russia withdrew from this agreement.”

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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stressed to his American counterpart, Anthony Blinken, the necessity of declaring a complete and immediate ceasefire in Gaza, against which Israel has been waging war since last October 7.

This came during the two ministers’ discussions in Ankara on Monday, according to Turkish diplomatic sources, during which they discussed regional developments, particularly the latest developments in the situation in Gaza and bilateral relations.

During the meeting, Fidan stressed to his American counterpart the necessity of “preventing Israel’s targeting of civilians and their displacement in Gaza and declaring a complete and immediate ceasefire.”

During the meeting in which views were exchanged on Gaza, the two sides confirmed that they agreed on the need to ensure that no harm was caused to civilians and that humanitarian aid was delivered continuously and without interruption.

The source said regarding the meeting: “Turkey and the United States agree on the need not to harm civilians in Gaza and to deliver humanitarian aid.”

The source reported that during today’s meeting in Ankara between Fidan and Blinken, “the necessity of working together for a two-state solution was also emphasized.”

During the discussions, the Turkish Foreign Minister assured his American counterpart that bombing civilian targets and destroying infrastructure in Gaza was “unacceptable.”

On another level, during the meeting that took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ankara, the two ministers discussed the NATO expansion process within the framework of Sweden’s membership and bilateral and regional issues.

It is noteworthy that the bilateral and expanded discussions between the two sides lasted about two and a half hours, and after the talks, Blinken left Turkey.

Blinken’s visit to Turkey comes after a Middle Eastern tour that he began with a visit to Israel.

During his tour with his counterparts in Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, Blinken discussed the Israeli war on Gaza.

He also went to the West Bank with a surprise visit, during which he met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, followed by a visit to Greek Cyprus, where he met with its head of administration, Nikos Christodoulides.

Later, the American Minister visited the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, during which he discussed with Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani the situation in Gaza.

After Ankara, Blinken is expected to head to Tokyo, Seoul, and New Delhi.

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “is no longer someone we can talk to in any way.”

This came in statements to reporters on board the plane during his return from Kazakhstan following his participation in the summit of the Turkish Organization of States on Friday.

President Erdogan pointed out that “Netanyahu is personally primarily responsible” for the attacks on Gaza, and “the Israeli interior is currently witnessing statements against him.”

He continued, “Netanyahu is a person who also arouses the anger of the Israeli people. He has lost the support of his citizens and is seeking to garner support for the massacres by using religious expressions.”

He added, “Netanyahu is no longer someone we can talk to in any way. We erased him and cast him aside.”

He continued: “Israel has taken a very wrong step. I can say that it has darkened its future with this step. This is a situation that not only disturbs Israel, but also its extensions abroad, so what it must do is to retract this step and stop it.”

In response to a question about the intense diplomatic movement he is leading to stop the Israeli attacks on Gaza, Erdogan indicated that they have held many meetings in this regard.

He stated that Turkey will participate in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, this November.

He said in the same context, “We also have a visit to Uzbekistan next week. These are important visits at a very critical time. Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi will come (to Turkey) at the end of this month and we will meet him.”

He added, “I attach importance to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit in Riyadh. We will press for a ceasefire.”

The Turkish President stressed the importance of the position of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation countries in this regard.

Erdogan pointed out that he seeks to “stop the bloodshed” by holding meetings with everyone, which “will continue in the coming days as well.”

He pointed out that the international community, “unable to curb Israel’s lawless approach, primarily ignores its principles.”

He continued, “As if ignoring the massacre of the Palestinians is not enough, they are entering into an embrace race with Israel and encouraging it to kill more children.”

He said: “Western countries that bow their heads when reminded of previous massacres that they turned a blind eye to will be crushed under the shame of their positions regarding the Gaza massacres.”

Erdogan asked, “We shout: Where is justice? Where are the international organizations that were established to maintain peace? Where are the human rights defenders?”

He said, “The world order and international law now face a difficult test.”

He continued: “If Israel is not stopped and held accountable for its actions, people’s already diminished confidence in international law and the global order will disappear. We will do our best to implement international law and punish war crimes.”

Erdogan pointed out that “the human tragedy in the occupied Palestinian territories, especially Gaza, was on the agenda of the Turkish Organization of States summit.”

He added, “We exchanged views on how to stop the bloodshed and contribute to lasting peace.”

He reiterated his emphasis that Turkey can play the role of a guarantor state in Gaza within the framework of the guarantors mechanism proposed by Ankara.

Erdogan said, “If Greece is a guarantor state in Cyprus, and Britain is as well, and Turkey is also a guarantor state of course, then why is there not a similar mechanism in Gaza?”

He continued, “We, as Turkey, must assume a leadership role in this regard, and this will be a development that will shape history, the present, and the future.”

President Erdogan noted that nearly a month had passed since the attacks began and said, “At the present time, we see that the developments will move the situation further against Israel.”

He pointed out that “Israel did not take this brutal step relying only on its strength, but also on Western support.”

He added that “the United States should be evaluated as part of the West.”

He continued, “The entire West, especially the United States, currently stands with Israel.”

Erdogan stressed Turkey’s desire “to see Gaza as a region enjoying tranquility as an integral part of the independent, geographically integrated State of Palestine on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.”

He added, “All our efforts are directed toward Gaza and a Palestine that enjoys tranquility, where people are not killed or displaced, and hospitals, streets, schools, and places of worship are not bombed.”

The Turkish President said that he informed all the leaders he spoke with that “unless a just and lasting peace is established in the region, it will not enjoy calm.”

He pointed out that “even countries that turn a blind eye to Israel’s massacres and stand behind them and do not hesitate to violate the values they defend also realize this.”

Erdogan affirmed Turkey’s support for initiatives that bring stability and peace to the region, saying, “We do not support plans that target the lives of Palestinians and seek to remove them from the stage of history.”

He added, “Formulas that would make Israel, which kills civilians without batting an eyelid and rains bombs on infants and wounded in hospitals, more reckless, are not a solution for us, but rather are the source of the absence of a solution.”

Erdogan criticized “some countries that tolerate elements of terrorist organizations under the guise of freedom of expression.”

He said that these countries (he did not name them) “tried to ban the Palestinian flag, which is a symbol of a people.”

He continued: “Despite all the bans and obstacles on the streets of Europe, people are demanding justice in the squares.”

He called on the world to “hear the cries of Palestinian children.”

He added, “We strive for Palestinian children to be able to live in peace like other children in the world and to live in a better world without worrying about their security.”

He continued, “The world cannot ignore their (children’s) desire to live freely and in peace in their land. We will continue to remind them of this and extend a helping hand to them.”

The Turkish President stressed that “extending a helping hand to these innocent and persecuted people is a debt on our shoulders and a humanitarian duty.”

He added: “Israel, which is deliberately trying to cause the collapse of the health system in Gaza, and the international community, which turns a blind eye to injustice, have left civilians, the sick, and infants (in Gaza) to die.”

He pointed out that the humanitarian conditions in Gaza are getting worse, and said, “Our priority now is for all aid sent to Gaza to arrive, but Israel does not allow that.”

He continued: “We have made all our preparations, from establishing field hospitals to sending hospital ships to treat patients. We are even continuing our work on transporting the wounded and sick to Turkey. We will not leave Gaza alone and desperate.”

He stated, “The vote at the United Nations (on the Israeli attacks on Gaza) was very important. In fact, this vote was like a school certificate that revealed Israel’s failure and failure.”

At the end of last October, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on Gaza calling for an immediate and sustainable humanitarian truce. 120 countries voted in favor of the resolution, 14 opposed it, while 45 countries abstained from voting.

Erdogan criticized the European Union’s position on the Israeli attacks on Gaza, saying that it “played a strange and very inconsistent role during this period and did not adopt a fair approach.”

He asked, “What is the European Union’s plan to resolve the (Palestinian-Israeli) crisis?”

He pointed out that Europe is currently witnessing the writing of “the history of double standards, unprincipledness and illegality.”

In a related context, Erdogan stressed that “Israeli arrogance has no origin in any of the divine religions.”

Addressing Netanyahu, he added, “What you are doing has nothing to do with what was stated in the Bible or what was stated in the Torah, and these two books or the Psalms do not accept it.”

Erdogan confirmed that “Turkish Intelligence Chief Ibrahim Kalin is communicating with the Israeli and Palestinian sides and with Hamas as well.”

He revealed that there is no communication between him and Netanyahu currently.

He explained that “it is not included in international diplomacy to completely sever relations (between countries).”

He stated that Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, the head of the Intelligence Service, and other relevant ministers in Turkey will continue to use all the capabilities offered to them by diplomacy.

He stressed that Turkey’s main goal is “establishing lasting peace in the Israeli-Palestinian issue.”

He pointed out that they continue to put forward initiatives in this regard and their determination to do what is necessary to “stop the bloodshed.”

Erdogan said, “Our goal is to reach a lasting and sustainable peace that will relieve our region and our country. We are launching our calls to secure this. We want to bring all parties together in a conference, for example.”

Erdogan concluded by saying, “Countries are capable of ending the ongoing war in Gaza, but the people who will end this war are the consciences of the people.”

On the other hand, Erdogan said that he received a letter of thanks a few days ago “from NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg after he signed the protocol for Sweden’s accession to the alliance and sent it to the Turkish Parliament.”

Recently, the Turkish President signed the protocol on Sweden’s accession to the alliance and it was referred to Parliament.

In mid-July, the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, hosted a tripartite meeting that included President Erdogan, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Hilmar Kristersson, and Stoltenberg.

Following the meeting, a tripartite statement confirmed that Ankara would refer Sweden’s NATO accession protocols to Parliament for ratification and that Stockholm would support efforts to revive Turkey’s accession process to the European Union.​​​​​​

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed the protocol on Sweden’s accession to NATO on Monday.

The Turkish Presidency’s Communications Department reported through its social media account that the protocol was referred to Parliament after it was signed by the President.

In mid-July, the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, hosted a tripartite meeting that included President Erdogan, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

Following the meeting, a tripartite statement confirmed that Ankara would refer the protocols for Sweden’s accession to the alliance to Parliament for ratification, and that Stockholm would support efforts to revive Turkey’s accession process to the European Union.

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The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, affirmed his strong rejection of the offensive and aggressive acts of burning the Holy Quran.

This came in a speech on Thursday during a session on the sidelines of the fifty-fourth session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Türk explained that despite holding a special emergency session regarding attacks on the Holy Quran last July, the attacks have continued to this day in some countries.

He added: “I strongly reject the aggressive and disrespectful acts of burning the Holy Quran, especially those that incite violence and division.”

Recently, there have been repeated incidents in Sweden and Denmark of right-wing extremist right-wing extremists burning and desecrating copies of copies of the Holy Quran in front of the embassies of Islamic countries, which sparked angry Arab and Islamic reactions, both officially and popularly, in addition to official summons of the two countries’ diplomats in more than one Arab country.

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Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced that he cannot say that the Turkish Parliament will approve his country’s membership in NATO in October.

In statements to the Swedish press, he said: “I cannot promise that our membership in NATO will be approved in October. This decision is up to Turkey, and Turkey is the decision maker.”

He pointed out that his country agreed with Ankara to send Sweden’s membership file to the Turkish Parliament as soon as the opening of the new legislative session.

He said: “Everyone is waiting for approval of Sweden’s membership in NATO after the opening of the (Turkish) parliament. The parliament is now open, and for me it is time for approval.”

On Sunday, October 1, the 28th legislative session of the Turkish Parliament opened.

While Stockholm’s membership in NATO continues, Sweden is witnessing numerous provocations targeting Turkey, its flag, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the Holy Quran in many regions of Sweden, which Ankara is demanding to put an end to.

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The Swedish capital, Stockholm, witnessed a new provocative act by supporters of the YPG/PKK terrorist organization aimed at attacking Turkey and its president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Supporters of the terrorist organization gathered on Saturday in one of Stockholm’s squares, demanding the cancellation of the memorandum of understanding concluded between Turkey and Sweden for the latter to join NATO.

Supporters of the terrorist organization raised banners bearing the YPG/PKK symbols and pictures of the organization’s leader, Abdul Ocalan.

They also chanted slogans against President Erdogan and others denouncing Sweden’s accession to NATO.

Supporters of the terrorist organization continued their protest under security measures taken by the Swedish police.

Sweden has recently witnessed several provocative events organized by supporters of the terrorist organization, during which they targeted Turkey and its President Erdogan, in light of security measures provided to them by police officers.

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