Sir, Turkey has always been an “island of stability” surrounded by catastrophes in its region. It is a Nato flank country that for decades has been facing threats directly and shoulders its burden responsibly. Turkey today hosts close to 2.5 million refugees, and since the start of 2015 the Turkish coastguard has rescued nearly 54,000 migrants from the sea.
Your article (“Sick man of Europe could infect the West”, Oct 14) unfairly criticises Turkey. We need to “solve” Syria. If we do not restore order and reinstate stability in Syria, we will have growing extremism, radicalisation and migration problems that will be far bigger than today’s problems.
We have a good record of co-operation and dialogue with the UK in the field of counter-terrorism, and had strong support and solidarity from our British friends after the heinous recent attack in Ankara.
The arguments set out in Roger Boyes’s article are not helpful when co-operation and solidarity should be the keywords for a brighter future in our region and beyond.
Abdurrahman Bilgiç
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Turkish ambassador to London