Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş said Wednesday that Türkiye is committed to deepening cooperation with the Three Seas Initiative as a newly designated strategic partner, emphasizing the country’s key role in strengthening regional and global connectivity.
Speaking at the Three Seas Initiative Parliamentary Summit hosted by the Croatian Parliament at the National and University Library in Zagreb, Kurtulmuş described Türkiye’s participation as a significant step in expanding collaboration within the platform.
He said connectivity remains one of Türkiye’s core priorities, highlighting ongoing efforts to enhance transportation, energy and communication corridors linking regions across Europe and Asia.
“As the country with the longest coastline on the Black Sea, Türkiye is determined to further deepen its relations with the initiative and develop multidimensional cooperation,” Kurtulmuş said.
He described the Three Seas Initiative as an inclusive framework shaped by the principle of regional ownership, providing a platform for strategic cooperation and consultation among participating countries.
Kurtulmuş pointed to Türkiye’s geostrategic position and advanced infrastructure as key advantages in facilitating connections between different regions of the world. He highlighted major projects such as the Middle Corridor, which links Asia and Europe via the South Caucasus and Central Asia, and the Development Road project connecting the Gulf region to Europe.
He also said the Turkish Parliament is ready to support inter-parliamentary dialogue to help advance the initiative’s goals.
Kurtulmuş warned that ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East demonstrate the fragility of global connectivity in the face of geopolitical tensions. He said the world is experiencing significant regional and international upheavals with lasting consequences.
“The humanitarian disaster in Sudan, the war in Ukraine, the ongoing crisis in Gaza, and the conflict involving Israel, the United States and Iran point not only to a global crisis but also to a profound erosion of the international order established after 1945,” he said.
He also highlighted the importance of security in the Black Sea region, describing Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine as a major threat. He reiterated Türkiye’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, including Crimea, and said Ankara continues diplomatic efforts to facilitate a just and lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia.
Turning to the Middle East, he called for an end to the conflict involving Iran, warning of its impact on civilians, infrastructure and maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
He added that connectivity should also encompass the exchange of knowledge, culture and values, not just infrastructure, and reaffirmed Türkiye’s commitment to building corridors of trust, prosperity and resilience linking countries and regions.
