Türkiye reaffirmed its commitment to contributing to global peace and stability to find peaceful solutions to ongoing conflicts, a statement released after the first National Security Council (MGK) meeting of the year said Wednesday.
The statement, released after a 3.5-hour meeting chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, highlighted that Ankara would particularly boost its efforts to solve conflicts in the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans.
Ankara also reiterated its full support for Syria's new administration in ensuring the country's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political unity, while guaranteeing the fundamental rights and freedoms of all ethnic and religious groups, and contributing to Syria's reconstruction and stability.
“The National Security Policy Document, which is regularly updated every five years or promptly when necessary, has been revised based on an assessment of current and potential developments in Türkiye, the region, and the world, and has been deemed appropriate by the council,” the statement said.
Since the start of the year, the Office of the Secretary-General of the National Security Council has been in touch with ministries and relevant institutions for input into the document.
A secret meeting chaired by Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz with top security measures earlier in December tackled the changes planned for the "Red Book" in detail.
The changes were presented at the meeting.
The document, once termed the “secret constitution” for its influence on state affairs, primarily serves as a guideline for future security policies of the country or amendments to existing policies.
It covers threats to Türkiye’s existence and policies to tackle them, namely, counterterrorism measures and measures against domestic and foreign threats.
The “Red Book” is occasionally updated based on changing threats, though discussions about it are rarely publicized. In September 2019, authorities announced that the latest version of the document was discussed and approved at a meeting of the MGK.
Türkiye reiterated that the PKK terrorist group and its extensions, would not be allowed to exploit the current or potential situation in Syria and emphasized that all terrorist groups that pose a threat to the countries in the region would be eliminated “under any circumstances.”
Türkiye also reaffirmed full support for Syria's new administration in ensuring the country's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political unity, while guaranteeing the fundamental rights and freedoms of all ethnic and religious groups, and contributing to Syria's reconstruction and stability.
Regarding the cease-fire in Gaza, the MGK statement said Türkiye is in favor of a permanent cease-fire and hopes that it serves as a foundation for a two-state solution to Palestine.
“The importance of ensuring that humanitarian aid reaches the people of Gaza without obstacles, interruptions, and as swiftly as possible has also been highlighted,” the statement said, adding that Israel's aggressive actions, which disregard international law and have now extended to Syrian territory, pose a significant obstacle to efforts aimed at achieving regional stability.
