QA-32, 25 September 2014, Statement of the Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tanju Bilgiç in response to a Question regarding the Reports Published in the German Press Asserting that Turkey Works on Nuclear Weapon Production

The allegation published in the German press on 21 September 2014 that Turkey works on nuclear weapon production has no basis in reality whatsoever.

Turkey attaches importance to arms control and disarmament and is party to all the international agreements and conventions in this field, starting with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and plays an active role in international endeavors in this direction.

Located near regions with a high risk of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, Turkey follows the developments in this field attentively and takes part in international efforts to bring this alarming trend under control. In this context, Turkey considers the goal of transforming the Middle East into a region free of weapons of mass destruction as a priority and hopes that the Middle East Conference, which will be the first stage of this process, will convene as soon as possible with the participation of all the countries in the region.

These allegations about Turkey, which is resolutely committed to the goal of a world free of nuclear weapons and to the principle of peaceful use of nuclear energy in the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty are baseless and devoid of reality. Moreover, it is surprising that such reports have been published by the press of a country which, like Turkey, is a NATO member and part of NATO's collective defense system.