The inhabitants of Turkey are the heirs of the nation, which 2232 years ago formed a regular army. The Turkish Armed Forces were and remain the honor and pride of our people. This was stated by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, addressing 249 young officers – graduates of the University of National Defense of Turkey on Friday in Istanbul.
“Throughout history, the Turkish army not only stood guard with the security of its country, but also successfully fulfilled the missions outside it. Our army is one of the strongest armies of the world,” Erdogan noted.
According to him, Turkey is one of the countries making the greatest contribution to the NATO mission. “A very small number of NATO member countries can announce today about a deposit similar to the fact that Over the past 71 years, Turkey has made an alliance mission,” the politician said.
The Turkish leader attracted attention to the position of Ankara to expand NATO, emphasizing that his country has always been in support of the expansion of the ranks of the military-political bloc.
At the same time, he noted that Turkey expects [from Sweden] the fulfillment of obligations in the matter of the fight against terrorism taken in the light of a tripartite memorandum signed as part of the NATO summit in Madrid. “How can the country be trusted [Sweden], on the streets of which terrorists are freely walking and acting? What contribution to the mission of the Alliance can make a state that is not distant from terrorist organizations?” Erdogan noted.
The president further attracted attention to the importance of training professional personnel for the needs of the Turkish Armed Forces and friendly countries. “Turkey will continue to increase the standards of already strong military education. We plan new initiatives and achievements in this area,” Erdogan assured.