Georgia’s ambassador to Ankara, George Janjgava, said that his country’s foreign trade volume with Turkey rose by 6 percent in 2023 to reach $3 billion.

Janjgava explained in a statement that this figure constitutes 13.5 percent of Georgia’s total annual foreign trade volume, which amounts to $22 billion.

He pointed out that Turkey is a good neighbor and a friendly country to Georgia and that it is also a strategic partner.

He stressed that relations between the two countries are developing in all fields and sectors, noting that the two countries celebrated in 2022 the thirtieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between them.

He pointed to Ankara’s role as a mediator in the Russian-Ukrainian war, describing Turkey as a “leading country” at the regional and international levels.

He continued: “Thanks to its strong administration and economy, Turkey is making the necessary efforts to contribute positively to regional and global peace.”

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For the tenth year in a row, Turkey maintained first place in the world in wheat flour exports by the end of 2022.

According to information, global wheat production reached 773 million tons in the 2020-2021 season, an increase of 1.4 percent compared to the previous season.

The reason for this is the increased production of some countries such as Russia, Kazakhstan, Australia, and Canada.

Production reached 781 million tons in the 2021-2022 season thanks to an increase in China, the European Union, Australia, India and Ukraine.

Turkey is among the countries in the world that can meet its own consumption in wheat production.

While wheat production in the country reached 22 million tons last year, Turkey ranked first in the world by exporting approximately 3.7 million tons of flour in this period.

On the other hand, according to the latest World Bank data, Turkey continued to rank first in wheat flour exports in the period between 2013-2022.

Turkey exported 2.1 million tons of wheat flour in 2013, and exports continued to increase until 2016, when they reached 3.5 million tons.

Although exports declined between 2017 and 2021, this did not affect Turkey’s leading position in global exports.

Turkish flour exports recorded 3.1 million tons in 2022.

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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Wednesday that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a major player who is respected in the region and the entire world.

This came in a press conference held in Poland, in which he participated via video conference technology.

Kuleba added, “We do not reject the intervention of any country that wishes to contribute to ending the war between us and Russia.”

He expressed his country’s desire for everyone, including China, Turkey and other countries, to participate in the peace summit scheduled to be held to end the war.

Kuleba continued, saying: “So far, Turkey is the only country capable of talking to the Russian and Ukrainian sides.”

He added, “We are now focusing on holding a peace summit that will bring everyone together and discuss outstanding issues such as nuclear security, freedom of navigation, commercial navigation, and the exchange of prisoners, which no one can oppose.”

Kuleba refused to accuse his country of involvement in the terrorist attack that occurred in the Russian capital last Friday.

He explained that Russia is doing everything it can to distort Ukraine’s image.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Russian authorities announced that the death toll from the terrorist attack that took place in a concert hall in Crocus City in the capital, Moscow, had risen to 140 dead and 360 injured.

Russia witnessed a national mourning on Sunday for the victims of the terrorist attack, and flags were flown at half-mast, while Moscow residents placed flower bouquets in the Crocus Hall, where gunmen opened fire.

The Federal Security Service reported in a statement on Monday the arrest of 11 people, including 4 terrorists directly involved in the attack, and that efforts are continuing to identify their accomplices.​​​​​​

On Tuesday, the head of the Federal Security Service, Alexander Bortnikov, accused the United States, Britain, and Ukraine of being behind the attack, but the terrorist organization ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack on Friday.

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Turkish Intelligence Chief Ibrahim Kalin left Turkey heading to Washington, DC, to hold meetings with American officials.

According to the information obtained, Kalin will meet with the head of the CIA, William Burns, and he will also meet with American officials in the White House, Congress, and the State Department.

Kalin is expected to discuss with American officials bilateral relations in addition to the fight against the PKK, ISIS, and Gulen terrorist organizations.

The files in Syria and Iraq and stopping the war on Gaza will also be presented on the agenda of the meetings.

Also, the head of Turkish intelligence will discuss with American officials the war between Russia and Ukraine and the situation in the Caucasus.

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The year 2023 witnessed intense diplomatic activity by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, during which he conducted 21 foreign visits to 15 countries, attended 7 international summits, and focused his efforts to ensure peace.

Erdogan intensified his international contacts after the parliamentary and presidential elections last May, and put the Gaza issue on his agenda in all his meetings with leaders since October, with the start of the Israeli attacks.

It also hosted many foreign leaders during the year, including the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad, the President of the Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed, the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Algeria, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, and the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas.

With his re-inauguration as president of the country at the end of last May, Erdogan began his foreign visits, and his first stops were to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and Azerbaijan on June 12. He also attended 7 summits within the scope of his foreign visits,

Last July, Erdogan made five foreign visits, including a visit to Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, on the 10th of the same month, to attend the NATO Heads of State and Government Summit, which was held on July 11.

Erdogan also visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the Emirates on July 17, 18, and 19 in his Gulf tour, from which he went again to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on July 20 (he visited it in the second week of June).

Erdogan also visited Hungary on August 20 to attend the celebrations of the Hungarian state’s founding day and some events at the World Athletics Championships, then headed to the Russian city of Sochi on September 4, at the invitation of his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, for a one-day working visit.

The Turkish President also participated in the G20 Leaders Summit in India on September 8, and followed it by attending the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, USA, from September 16 to 20.

In this context, Erdogan conducted a one-day working visit to the Nakhchivan region (belonging to Azerbaijan) on September 25, at the invitation of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

Peace diplomacy for Palestine

Erdogan intensified his international contacts after the Israeli attacks on Gaza that began on October 7, putting Gaza on the agenda in all his meetings with leaders, introducing intense peace diplomacy.

The Turkish President made 6 visits last November, which included Kazakhstan to attend the tenth summit of the Organization of Turkic States on November 2. In his speech at the summit, he said that “acting in unity and solidarity like the Turkish world will facilitate the path to a ceasefire first and then to lasting peace.” “.

During his visit to Uzbekistan on November 8 to attend the 16th summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization, Erdogan explained that “the Israeli government violated all the values of humanity and destroyed schools, mosques, churches, hospitals, universities and civilians.”

For the second time during the year, Erdogan visited Saudi Arabia on November 11, to attend the extraordinary joint summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League held in Riyadh to discuss the Israeli war on Gaza.

Erdogan said during the summit that “in the Islamic world, we cannot of course leave our Palestinian brothers helpless,” and called for “the establishment of a fund within the Organization of Islamic Cooperation for the reconstruction of Gaza.”

After the re-election of President Erdogan, dozens of state leaders visited Turkey to attend the inauguration ceremony that was held on June 3. The same month also witnessed Erdogan hosting the President of the Emirates, and later he hosted the Ukrainian President, the President of Algeria, and the Palestinian President.

During the year, Erdogan also hosted the President of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Austrian Prime Minister, Karl Nehammer, and met with the Lebanese Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, and other leaders, leaders, and prime ministers.

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President of the Turkish Federation of Hotel Owners, Erkan Yağcı, expects that the tourism sector will achieve growth this year by about 15 percent.

Yağcı explained in a statement on Saturday that the year 2023 witnessed a noticeable increase in the number of tourists and tourism revenues.

He said: “Despite the earthquake (that struck Kahramanmaraş), the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, and the tension between Israel and Palestine, Turkish tourism will end in 2023 with a growth rate of 15 percent compared to last year.”

Yağcı pointed out that “2023 was not an easy year, but the result was good.”

He added: “2019 was a record year in the field of tourism, and looking at the data, 2023 exceeds 2019.”

It is noteworthy that Turkey ranked sixth in the world in receiving tourists, after 52.5 million visitors visited it in 2019, according to the World Tourism Organization.

Yağcı continued: “Tourism has gained great momentum, and Turkey ranked fourth in the global tourism classification in terms of the number of tourists, and has become a tourist country and a brand that has consolidated its position in the world.”

He concluded by saying: “As long as there are no negative political and economic developments in our region, 2024 will be better than 2023.”

Yesterday, the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced that Turkey received 52 million 742 thousand and 526 visitors during the first 11 months of this year.

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Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar said that his country plans to become self-sufficient in the field of energy during the next three decades, announcing that oil production in mountain Gabar (east) has exceeded 30 thousand barrels per day.

The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources stated in a statement that Bayraktar held a meeting with a group of Turkish youth in the capital, Ankara, in which he answered their inquiries about topics related to the country’s work in the field of energy.

According to the statement, Bayraktar explained that one of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s goals for the “Century of Turkey” is energy independence.

He added: “Therefore, we have a definitive goal in energy, which is to make Turkey completely independent (self-sufficient) in the field of energy and save it from the import problem in the ‘Turkey Century,’ and we hope to achieve this within the next thirty years.”

The “Century of Turkey” is a vision announced by President Erdogan in late 2022, which includes the programs and goals of the Republic in its second centenary.

Bayraktar stressed that independence in the field of energy means Turkey’s independence, and that Turkey’s security in this field is an issue equivalent to Turkey’s national security.

He pointed to President Erdogan’s announcement of the discovery of a natural gas field off the coast of the Black Sea in August 2020, which is the largest in the country’s history, with a volume of gas that may meet between 25 to 30 percent of Turkey’s needs.

In late 2022, Turkey announced the discovery of an additional 170 billion cubic meters of natural gas in the Black Sea, bringing the total volume of discoveries to 710 billion cubic meters.

The Turkish Minister also referred in the context to the discovery of an oil reserve in the state of Şırnak (east) in May 2023.

He said: “We found crude oil in mountain Gabar and are extracting oil from the region. The daily production extracted from Gabar has exceeded 30 thousand barrels.”

Last May, President Erdogan announced the discovery of an oil discovery with a production capacity of 100,000 barrels per day in the state of Şırnak.

He added at the time: “I would like to announce new good news. We have discovered an oil field with a production capacity of up to 100,000 barrels per day in Gora Gabar.”

According to monitoring data from Turkey’s Mediterranean Program for the years 2024-2026, Turkey’s energy imports rose to a record level, recording $96.5 billion in 2022, accompanied by the impact of the sanctions imposed on Russia as a result of the Russian-Ukrainian war, which caused commodity prices to rise in the aforementioned year.

However, the decline in energy prices during the current year 2023, according to the same data in September of this year due to the increase in gas reserves in Europe and weak demand for it in China, Turkey’s energy imports decreased by 26.2 percent in the period from January to July. 2023 compared to the same period last year, declining to $41 billion.

In parallel, estimates based on data indicate that Turkey’s energy imports will decrease by 26.4 percent in 2023 compared to 2022 and decline to $71 billion.

It is expected that these imports will reach $77.3 billion in 2024 and $76.3 billion in 2025.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the efforts of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in creating conditions for long-term peace in Gaza.

This came in statements made by Putin during the annual press conference on Thursday, in which he asked him a question in the context of the United Nations’ performance regarding what is happening in the Gaza Strip and whether the organization has lost the essence of its mission in this context.

Putin said: “Erdogan is one of the leaders of the international community who draws attention to the tragedy in Gaza and is doing everything to improve the situation and create conditions for achieving long-term peace.”

He added: “He (Erdogan) is very active in this direction, and this is clear. I hope for his health and well-being from God.”

He pointed out that Russia, like Turkey, supports the implementation of United Nations resolutions regarding the establishment of a Palestinian state.

The Russian President confirmed that he is in constant contact with his Turkish counterpart regarding these issues, and that their positions are “very close.”

He revealed that he had recently been planning to meet his Turkish counterpart and visit Turkey in this context, but Erdogan’s program was not appropriate, according to Putin.

He expressed his hope to meet his Turkish counterpart early next year.

He said: “I planned this recently as well. I was ready to travel to Turkey. But Erdogan’s program was not appropriate. Something like this could happen. We may decide to make this visit at the beginning of next year.”

Putin stressed that his country adopts a position similar to the Turkish position regarding Palestine, and stressed the need to establish “solid” foundations for resolving the Palestinian-Israeli issue.

He stressed that the situation in Gaza amounts to a “disaster,” saying: “What happened is a disaster, and those sitting here (in the hall) and people all over the world see everything. Look at the special military operation in Ukraine and what happened in Gaza and you will feel the difference.”

He said: “There is no such thing (violations) in Ukraine, and the Secretary-General of the United Nations (Antonio Guterres) said that Gaza has become the largest cemetery for children in the world. This assessment tells us a lot, and it is an objective assessment.”

Referring to the role of the United Nations regarding Gaza, Putin pointed out that some countries thwarted some decisions at the United Nations during the war in Gaza.

The Russian President stressed that “there is nothing unusual in the work of the United Nations. This has always been the case, especially during the Cold War.”

He pointed out that the United Nations was established to reach consensus (among countries), and “if consensus is not reached, decisions cannot be made.”

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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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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan affirmed that “the international judiciary would have intervened immediately if a Muslim country had committed the war crimes committed by Israel.”

This came in statements made by President Erdogan to reporters on board the plane during his return from Germany, where he made a working visit on Friday.

Erdogan said that his talks with his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and the country’s chancellor, Olaf Scholz, “focused more on the situation in Gaza.”

He explained that Steinmeier and Scholz “believe that the Hamas movement is guilty of the developments because of the step it took on October 7 last year.”

Hamas carried out the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation on October 7, which was followed by a devastating war launched by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip with absolute Western support.

Erdogan pointed out that “the German side accuses Hamas of killing civilians and so on,” and that he told them the opposite during the meetings that took place on Friday.

He continued: “We told them clearly that Israel is a terrorist state, and that it unfortunately killed 13,000 people, including children, women and the elderly, in Palestine. You do not see these matters and put them aside. You try to explain to us the killing of 100-200 people on the Israeli side as a summary of the scene.”

He added: “Unfortunately, there is a wrong focus in their conclusions. They are also practicing the same policy here that they pursued regarding Ukraine. Everything they did in Ukraine, they are doing the same things in Israel as well.”

He said: “We see that they say that Israel is right, and they are transferring all capabilities, whether weapons or money, to this country without any limits.”

The Turkish President explained that “Scholz said during their meeting that Germany is forced to provide this support with money and weapons to Israel on the grounds that it is in a position of (self-defense).”

Erdogan pointed out that Berlin “considers what Israel is doing as self-defense, but what the Palestinian resistance is doing does not consider it as such.”

He added: “They dragged (displaced) the people of Gaza from north to south, and they are also bombing there from all sides, by air, sea and land.”

Erdogan stated that “the mentality of eliminating the Palestinians and erasing them from those lands, which began with Theodor Herzl and still continues, is prevalent in the region today.”

Regarding the new steps that Turkey will take towards Gaza after transporting cancer patients from there to the capital, Ankara, for treatment, Erdogan said that his country is taking many steps for the sake of Gaza, especially in the health field.

He explained that transporting 27 cancer patients to Turkey is only part of this work, otherwise the number of patients is very large.

Erdogan continued: “There are people who need surgery, and they are already in the hundreds, and we have not been able to get them out yet.”

He confirmed that Turkey delivered a large amount of aid to the region through air and sea shipments to meet basic needs such as food, medicine, and water.

He added: “Our efforts to support Gaza on the political scene and raise awareness in the international community continue unabated.”

He stressed that “the best step to be taken regarding Gaza is to reach a ceasefire as soon as possible, and our priority will be achieving lasting peace.”

He continued: “When a ceasefire is reached (in Gaza), we will do everything necessary for Israel to pay compensation for the destruction it caused.”

He pointed out that Turkey will make efforts to rebuild the damaged infrastructure, schools, hospitals, and destroyed water and energy facilities in Gaza.

He said, “After reaching a ceasefire, we will do our utmost to improve the living conditions of the people of Gaza and revive their hopes.”

He pointed out that even if the world turns its back on Gaza, Turkey has always stood and will continue to stand by the oppressed.

In response to a question about the possibility of keeping the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza open to deliver aid despite Israel’s threats, Erdogan said that keeping the crossing open is very important because it has become a lifeline for Gaza and its residents.

He added: “Our aid reaches our brothers from there, albeit in a limited manner. Israel is trying to prevent this aid and leave Gaza facing hunger and thirst, and from time to time it obstructs the passage of aid.”

He added, “But we do not despair. We are working to involve international relief organizations and the United Nations, and we are delivering our aid even if it is not to the extent we want.”

He stressed that Turkey will continue to help Gaza “until it stands on its feet despite all obstacles, and the whole world, especially Islamic countries, should mobilize efforts to help it as well.”

When asked about the war crimes committed by Israel, Erdogan said that more than a thousand lawyers have submitted requests to the International Criminal Court to investigate these crimes and that the requests are still continuing.

On the other hand, Erdogan pointed out that Israel is not a party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and therefore it is not subject to the provisions of the treaty in the first stage.

He added: “But member countries have the right to submit a request to the International Atomic Energy Agency to demand the establishment of an inspection mechanism in the name of nuclear safety, and we will currently work to put this matter into practice.”

He pointed out that a meeting of the agency’s board of directors will be held to decide on this request, but this process will take some time because they have to send the board’s decision to the United Nations Security Council, which is the highest body for the International Atomic Energy Agency.

He continued: “It is possible that the United States will stand by Israel and use its veto power against this issue, but even the mere fact that this issue reaches the stage of discussion on that ground is a very big matter.”

He explained, “This is the first time that such a request has been registered against Israel in official records. Making progress in this matter is very important in terms of ensuring a balance of strategic interests in the region.”

He stressed that Turkey will continue to exert pressure in this regard, and it calls for the implementation of control over Israeli nuclear weapons in order to eliminate doubt before it is too late.

The Turkish President pledged to follow up on this issue, calling on the whole world not to give up on this matter.

Erdogan reiterated his assertion that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin, “Netanyahu will leave and we will get rid of him, and even Israel will get rid of him, God willing, and so will the Jews of all the world.”

He stated that 60-70 percent of the people in Israel currently oppose Netanyahu, because he is causing huge costs for his country and the world.

He added: “At the present time, everyone is supplying it with weapons and money, but this makes the countries that support it pay a price.”

He pointed out that there is a lot of evidence to try the Israeli administration before the International Criminal Court.

Erdogan added: “If a Muslim country had committed the war crimes committed by Israel, the international judiciary would have intervened immediately without the need for special efforts.”

He added: “We will do our best to punish these crimes without bias, and even if everyone stops prosecuting Israel’s crimes, we will not do that.”

He praised the efforts made by the Anti-Disinformation Center of the Turkish Presidency’s Communications Department to expose and refute the lies that Israel has been spreading since October 7.

He explained that “Israel is trying to legitimize its occupation through many lies.”

The Turkish President continued: “They are trying to cover up the war crimes they committed in Gaza with fabricated excuses.”

He pointed out that “Israel is storming hospitals with cannons and tanks. They are still searching for a tunnel under the hospital (Al-Shifa). It turns out that all of those (tunnels) are just lies.”

He added: “We are seeking to evacuate patients in need of surgery (in Gaza) as soon as possible. Our discussions with Egypt are continuing in this regard.”

In response to a request from the families of the Israeli hostages for his help, Erdogan said, “We brought our intelligence service into the matter and it is now conducting the necessary investigations. We are working to obtain a result.”

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