DOGAN CELIK, ''I INITIATED THE BROKEN TURKEY-LIBYA RELATIONS, OUR GOVERNMENT TOOK CARE OF IT'’

Striking statements on the agenda from Dogan Celik, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Buyuk Avrasya Holding...

Dogan Celik, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Buyuk Avrasya Holding, which has made a name for itself with its investments and exploratory contacts with the countries contacted in Turkey's foreign relations, made special statements. Underlining that his aim is to support Turkey's foreign relations and consider the interests of the state rather than economic gains, Celik said, "As a member of the martyr family and the brother of a martyr, my only goal in all the steps I take is the interests of my country.” Dogan Celik, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Buyuk Avrasya Holding, who came together with Ahmet Maynik, Vice President of Libya, who had been shelved for a long time due to some strategic mistakes experienced in the past and whose relations had been severed for a long time, had provided a warm contact that would provide reconciliation in the direction of solving the problems between the two countries and recovering former friendships. Following the meeting between Celik and Maynik, cooperation and mutual development steps were planned between the two countries. Celik, who played a very important role in bringing the two countries together during the Turkish-Russian crisis following the downing of the Russian plane on 24 November 2015, explained Turkey's role and purpose in improving its relations with countries that are disconnected in international relations. DAVUTOGLU'S WRONG POLICY DAMAGED OUR RELATIONS WITH LIBYA AND RUSSIA Especially after the overthrow of Gaddafi, very wrong strategies were followed during Davutoğlu's term as Prime Minister. As a result of these wrong strategies, unfortunately all our contacts with Libya were severed.

At that time, we supported the wrong people and gave money and weapons to the wrong people, and the people we gave money and weapons to were subsequently declared terrorists.

As the state of the Republic of Turkey, debates arose in the international arena as if we were feeding or supporting the terrorists in Libya at that time. Subsequently, after this wrong strategy we pursued, the National accord government, which was recognized by the United Nations (UN) and the United States of America (USA), unfortunately did not want to contact us and no dialogue developed between us.” FIRST DIALOGUE WITH LIBYA... In 2017, as a result of the work I carried out with my team, we established contacts with Libya. We developed friendships with the then Prime Minister Ahmet Maytik, and we developed serious friendships with the former Libyan President Fayez al-Sarraj. We invited them, we travelled back and forth. Finally, we brought them together with our government. We introduced them to the members of the government. Then we developed relations and carried out commercial activities. Then a number of contacts were established by our state. We recovered the friendships we lost in the past. At this point, Libya is the country that we can make the best use of both economically and strategically for our country. There is a global crisis in the world. When we consider it now, the oil that comes out of Libya annually is 68 billion dollars and it is only in the hands of the National Accord. This is the price of crude oil extracted on the spot. When this is exported, it is multiplied by two. Why America, Germany, France and England are there, because everyone was getting a share from this oil. Unfortunately, although we had friendships based on history, we were not getting a share from Libya. Because of these relations we have developed, we are getting a share today. Because we have sent troops to Libya, we are seriously training and developing the Libyan army. We are getting support. Our businessmen started to make serious investments and do business there. Libya has become like Cyprus for us. Today, the fastest way to overcome the economic crisis in our country is the money that will flow to us from Libya. Of course, there are some different ways to do this. Today, we are seriously exporting military ammunition to Libya. We have exports related to the defence industry. Multinational countries that do not want stability in Libya and feed on chaos do not want their interests there to be jeopardized. America is giving dollars to Libya at serious levels. It buys its oil. It paints the paper and gives it as dollars. Again, it puts an embargo on that dollar and says, 'Oh Libya, I gave you the dollar, but you cannot spend it wherever you want, you cannot use it wherever you want, you can give it where I see fit for you' or 'If you need something, you tell me, I will sell it to you, I will get that dollar back from you', in other words, these multinational powers have officially occupied and exploited that place. Some things have changed with our entry there. The balances we call the Blue Homeland have changed, our power in the Mediterranean has increased. In short, Libya has become like our backyard and satellite. If we utilise this very well in the future, it is an incredible opportunity for the Republic of Turkey." . I INITIATED THE BROKEN TURKEY-LIBYA RELATIONS, OUR GOVERNMENT TOOK CARE OF IT' In fact, at first the government was not in favour of going into Libya because Libya had turned into a quagmire of war. There were many multinational dominant powers. The government had removed Libya from its agenda and did not want to have a presence in Libya. In our consultations with the government on several occasions, the government had negative thoughts. But at individual level, I had a strong will on this issue. Firstly, I initiated it, then the government embraced it when the relations developed in a good direction. Then we received the support of the government. DAVUTOGLU ALSO DAMAGED TURKISH-RUSSIAN RELATIONS Along with Libya, our relations with Russia also deteriorated during Davutoğlu period. We had serious problems due to the shooting down of the Russian plane. That event even caused an economic crisis. Especially the companies doing business with Russia and tourism came to the point of bankruptcy. We had very close friendships with the Russian President Mr Putin and his family. On the basis of those friendships, we tried to improve relations by establishing very close relations with Mr Putin one-on-one and with the family and close circle of Mr Marat Kabayev, Mr Putin's precious father-in-law, who is also a close friend of mine. "MY ONLY GOAL IS THE INTERESTS OF MY COUNTRY" Now, from the outside, it may seem that we are doing these things to earn money, but the basis of these things is to be beneficial to our state, nation and especially our country. Of course, in matters that can be turned into trade, we provide commercial space for both us and our circles. This is the nature of trade. But our most important basic principle is to use our existing friendships for the interests of our government, our country and our state. If there is something that has deteriorated, if there is something we can do, to repair it, to contribute, and then to provide commercial space for both ourselves and our businessmen friends operating in the field of business areas on the relations we have developed, to help them with their problems, if any, this is actually our main purpose." I WOULD ADVISE THOSE WHO ARE THINKING ABOUT A COUP D'ÉTAT TO THINK AGAIN BY LOOKING AT THE FINAL SITUATION OF KENAN EVREN TODAY... Mugla's Marmaris district, the architect of the 12 September coup, 7th President Kenan Evren lived for 17 years in the 7th President Kenan Evren's luxury villa named "Beyazev", where he lived for 17 years and led the 1980 coup, and by purchasing it, he will make it a guest house and democracy museum for the relatives of martyrs and veterans, almost as a blow to the last coup plotter Kenan Evren. We do not have a monetary purpose for this project. Our aim here, I am a brother of a martyr. Our aim was to erase the traces of the coups there, to erase the identification of the place with the coup, which is known as the place where the coups were managed, and to show the world, our country and the people who were victimised in this business the last point that the coup plotters have reached. I recommend those who are thinking of a coup to think again by looking at the last situation of Kenan Evren today. We are creating a healthier and more social area for the families of martyrs, veterans and their relatives, turning it into a guest house and museum for them, with a phrase that we can call the coup plotter Kenan Evren 'The Last Coup'. This is completely our aim."