United Arab Emirates State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Anwar Gargash, urged on Monday the need to confront Turkey’s expansionist agenda in the region.
In an interview with Germany’s Die Welt, he said: “French President Emmanuel Macron is one of the few European politicians who is openly opposing Turkey’s regional expansion.”
“Europe needs to take a united position on Turkey,” he demanded.
“Erdogan exploits weaknesses for his own gain,” he warned. “When confronted with red lines, he will be prepared to negotiate.”
Furthermore, Gargash said Erdogan’s Islamist ideological project is closely linked to this expansion.
He accused the Turkish leader of spreading the Muslim Brotherhood ideology in the world.
On one level it is his own personal ideology, but on another, it is a means to gain power, he explained. “The two cannot be separated.”
Moreover, he said thousands of Turkish soldiers are engaged in operations against the Kurdistan Workers' Party in northern Iraq. The military is also involved in northern Syria and in sending weapons to the Libyan Government of National Accord.
“Turkey is expanding everywhere at the expense of the Arabs. We are opposed to this. If they want to revive their empire, then go ahead, but not at our expense,” he stressed.
