Turkey, India boost cooperation in fighting terrorism

By Kadir Karakus and Enes Kaplan

NEW DELHI

Turkey and India will never bow down to terrorism, Turkish president said Monday.

“We, as two friend countries, will never give terrorism any opportunity to make us bow down,” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

Erdogan arrived in India late Sunday for a three-day visit, the first trip at the presidential level from Turkey to India in seven years.

“Turkey is in full solidarity with India in their fight against terrorism. The aim of terror organizations is to discourage…. It is not important how much effort they make, terrorists will be certainly drown in the blood they spill,” he said after condemning a deadly attack last week on a police patrol in eastern India.

Twenty-five security officers were killed in a remote part of eastern India on April 24 by Maoist rebels -- one of the deadliest attacks in the region in the recent years.

The aim of the Maoist Naxalites’ 50-years terrorist campaign is to overthrow the government and set up communist rule.

The fight against FETO

Erdogan also thanked the Indian government for their support following the defeated July 2016 coup blamed on the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), which left 249 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

“I believe through measures they will take, India will root out FETO in their country,” he said, warning of “a serious threat to other countries where FETO is carrying out activities under the guise of legal-seeming foundations.”

According to the Turkish government, FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the coup attempt. Ankara has said FETO is behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary, and has also accused it of infiltrating other countries through educational institutions, among others.

For his part, Modi also expressed his country’s determination to work together with Turkey in the fight against terrorism.

“The president and I decided to work together to strengthen cooperation both bilaterally and multilaterally to counter this threat effectively,” he said, adding:

“We must put an end to the cross-border movement of terrorists. They also need to act against those who create, support, shelter, and spread terrorism.”

Bilateral ties

Stressing India's importance in terms of its geography and economy, Erdogan said, “We see India plays a critical role in all international developments in Asia.”

He vowed to enhance relations with India in all areas.

Modi also said that the countries should forge stronger business ties.

“We would like to encourage stronger partnerships with Turkish companies over our flagship programs and projects."

Before the press conference, the two countries signed agreements on bilateral cooperation, culture, and communication.

India -- which has the second-largest Muslim population in the world -- is a member of the G20 and is one of the so-called BRICS countries -- a group of five major emerging economies along with Brazil, Russia, China, and South Africa.

- UN Security Council 'must be reformed'

In a separate appearance, Turkey's president reiterated his call to reform the United Nations Security Council.

"In general, the United Nations' structure, but in particular the United Nations Security Council structure must be reformed as soon as possible," Erdogan told Jamia Millia Islamia University, where he received an honorary doctorate.

"For example, who can say that the United Nations Security Council has a healthy structure when it doesn't include India, which has a population of 1.3 billion?" Erdogan asked. "How can the UNSC be fair when the Muslim world's 1.7 billion population isn't represented?"

Erdogan has repeatedly said in recent years that "the world is bigger than five," calling for reforms to the UN body so "the fate of the world’s 196 states" no longer depends on the five permanent Security Council members.

*Shuriah Niazi from New Delhi contributed to this story.