The title of the article is taken from a remark President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made during an interview with journalists on the plane returning from Azerbaijan. He used this expression while responding to a question about Syrian refugees.
As many will easily recall, during the Syrian civil war, the opposition parties pursued a highly pragmatic political strategy, exploiting the issue of refugees for a few votes. By excessively politicizing the matter, they contributed to a climate in which organized attacks against refugees took place. Erdoğan, on the other hand, stood by the Syrian refugees at the expense of losing votes in the elections.
Today, with the confidence of having been on the right side of history, he can answer a question on this issue with the following words: “Look at where we are now. Have the sanctions on Syria been lifted? They have ... In politics, it is a matter of vision – vision. If you have vision, you solve problems. But if you don’t, you cannot resolve anything.”
At this stage, Syria has a new administration. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met Trump in Washington. Sanctions have been lifted. Nearly 1.29 million Syrians have returned from Türkiye to their own country.
Erdoğan’s approach, “if you have vision, you solve problems,” is equally applicable to the ongoing diplomatic efforts.
It is no coincidence that, in a single in-flight interview, he addressed topics such as maintaining the cease-fire and humanitarian aid in Gaza, institutionalizing stability in the Caucasus, reducing tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan in South Asia, ending the fighting in Sudan and deepening stability and security in Syria. Türkiye is making major efforts to build peace in all of these areas and more, through active engagement and diplomacy. Each of these issues was evaluated separately during the interview.
After more than 30 years of instability and conflict in the Caucasus, a window of opportunity has opened for lasting peace and stability. Türkiye was Azerbaijan’s ally during the Karabakh war; yet it is also one of the principal architects of peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Being an ally in war and a trusted actor in peacebuilding is not a position every leader or country can attain.
Türkiye has also assumed a mediating role in the tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. In Azerbaijan, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif met with the Azerbaijani leader to ensure that the tension is fully resolved. This week, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Director Ibrahim Kalın will travel to Pakistan on a mission that can be described as field diplomacy. In this sense, Türkiye is not merely calling on the parties to exercise restraint; it is building mechanisms for resolution through on-the-ground diplomacy.
In Sudan, an active civil war has been ongoing for two years. Erdoğan stated that “our burden is heavy” with regard to ending the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Sudan. Based on his remarks, it is clear that Türkiye’s efforts to help end the civil war will intensify in the coming days.
Türkiye stands out as one of the rare countries in Africa capable of maintaining a balance within the security-development-humanitarian assistance triangle. Unlike other major powers, it does not approach the continent solely through the lens of unilateral, interest-driven calculations. The significance of Türkiye’s role in stopping active conflicts is acknowledged by many actors.
At a time when many countries are becoming increasingly inward-looking, Türkiye’s efforts to resolve crises are gaining traction. In a period marked by the rise of crisis politics, expectations from Türkiye continue to grow by the day. When Erdoğan says “our burden is heavy,” he is referring to these very expectations.
