Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said today that "creating new equations in international politics" not a choice, but a "necessity" for Turkey, reported the Anatolian Agency.
"In a period when our region is constantly on the brink, creating new equations in foreign policy is not just a choice, but a necessity for Turkey," Erdogan said in a statement after a cabinet meeting.
He added that Turkey is a country that "cannot be squeezed into just one bloc with its geographical, human, economic and historical ties".
Erdogan said that Turkey cannot allow anyone to bring it into its "narrow framework", adding: "We will neither turn our backs on the East for the sake of the West, nor ignore the West for the sake of the East.
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Regarding the ongoing attacks on Gaza and the Palestinian lands, Erdogan said Ankara's position will not change "as long as Israel's policy of slaughter, occupation and genocide in Gaza and other Palestinian territories continues.
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Having said that his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin had been "fruitful" during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting held in Kazakhstan's capital Astana, Erdogan said that "Turkey's door is wide open" for any investment that will bring added value to its economy, "as long as we act with a mutually beneficial approach".
As for a possible meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Erdogan said: "We believe in the benefit of opening the clenched fists. We sincerely hope to resolve the conflicts at the negotiating table and through mutual dialogue.