Minister Fidan: “Our intelligence sources confirm the death of the FETO organization leader.”

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated, “Our intelligence sources confirm the death of the leader of the FETÖ organization. The leader of this dark organization is dead. Our nation’s determination in the fight against terrorism will continue.”

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a joint press conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. Before the meeting held at the Ministry, Minister Fidan and Sybiha signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Diplomat Exchange and a Consultation and Action Plan for the 2025-2026 period.

Recalling that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha served as Ukraine’s ambassador to Turkey from 2016 to 2021, Minister Fidan said, “He is a statesman who has made significant contributions to Ukraine-Turkey relations, and I wish him success in his new role. During his time in office, just as he did in his ambassadorship, he will also make significant contributions to the relations between the two countries in his ministerial role. Efforts on the ground should be supported by negotiation processes. We support all initiatives aimed at peace. Peace is a goal that can be achieved between the warring parties. Therefore, we believe that peace talks should be conducted with the participation of all parties. We hope that the Black Sea will soon return to a zone of cooperation. It is clear that this will be in the interests of all countries in the Black Sea. We have an intensive bilateral agenda with Ukraine. Trade is at the forefront of this agenda. We have completed the ratification process of the free trade agreement we signed in 2011 in our country. With the completion of the process in Ukraine, we will further advance our economic cooperation institutionally,” he expressed.

“We signed a memorandum of understanding on diplomat exchange”

Pointing out the defense industry relations between Turkey and Ukraine, Fidan stated, “We discussed developments in this area in today’s meeting. We also addressed the topic of Ukraine’s reconstruction comprehensively in our discussions. Turkish contracting companies are in a leading position in Ukraine. Turkish contractors have contributed to more than 300 projects in Ukraine to date. The total amount for these projects is around 10 billion dollars. Since the war began in 2022, our companies have successfully completed 70 projects. Cooperation in the energy field is among the important topics of our discussions, and we also addressed projects aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s energy security. Turkey and Ukraine are connected not only by geographical proximity but also by common history. The Crimean Tatars are part of this common history. The Ukrainian government has made commendable legal arrangements to strengthen the rights of Crimean Tatars. We are also confident that additional steps will be taken in this area. A short while ago, we signed a memorandum of understanding on diplomat exchange between our ministries and a consultation action plan for the 2025-2026 period. Ukraine is our strategic partner, and we will continue to strive to deepen our cooperation in every field,” he evaluated.

Andrii Sybiha noted that one of the first visits he made as a minister was to Turkey, emphasizing that Turkey is one of Ukraine’s most important strategic partners.

“We believe that it should support peace according to UN norms”

Sybiha emphasized the importance of Turkey’s support for the Ukraine Peace Plan and its leadership in the field of Food Security, stating, “Ukraine’s peace formula is the only option for lasting and inclusive peace. Today we emphasized an important point. We believe that the division of the world into blocs is not correct, and all peace-loving states should support peace according to United Nations norms. We know that Turkey contributes to this.”

Sybiha informed that he presented President Zelensky’s Victory Plan to Minister Fidan, highlighting the importance of re-establishing freedom of navigation in the Black Sea. He also mentioned the increased attacks by Russia on Ukrainian port infrastructure. He informed that four humanitarian cargo ships carrying food to Palestine as part of the UN food program for Italy and Egypt were hit. “We must jointly stop the terrorism targeting food security,” he stated.

“We welcome the contributions of Turkish companies with great pleasure”

Sybiha announced plans to hold a Food Summit in Kiev at the beginning of November, emphasizing the defense industry aspect of cooperation with Turkey, saying:

“Baykar is establishing a factory in Ukraine. The STM company is building a corvette named Hetman Ivan Mazepa for the Ukrainian Navy. These initiatives strengthen both Ukraine and Turkey. At the same time, we welcome the contributions of Turkish companies in the reconstruction process of Ukraine with great pleasure. We look forward to their increase. We have established a joint working group for this purpose and expect the Turkish delegation to visit Ukraine soon.”

“Our intelligence sources confirm the death of the FETÖ organization leader”

Minister Fidan announced the confirmation of the death of FETÖ leader Fethullah Gülen, stating that the struggle against terrorism will continue resolutely, saying:

“Our intelligence sources confirm the death of the leader of the FETÖ organization. The leader of this dark organization is dead. Our nation’s determination in the fight against terrorism will continue. This news of death will never lead us to complacency. This organization has been a rare threat focal point in our nation’s history. It has deceived thousands of our youth in the name of sacred values, turning them into a machine that betrays their own homeland, nation, and sacred values. These people are now being used as a weapon against their own nation in a state of great humiliation at the hands of foreign intelligence services. The spell over them must now be broken, and I invite them to abandon the wrong path they have taken and to stop working against their state and nation. This is not a good path. The end of this path is not a good end. Our state and nation will continue to fight against this organization, as with all terrorist organizations.”