President Erdoğan: The dawn of a great and powerful Türkiye is breaking

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, "Today, the dawn of a great and powerful Türkiye is breaking. Now, we will sit down and talk. Not with weapons, not with violence, not for conflict, but for love, for brotherhood, by removing the barrier of terrorism between us, we will talk face to face, heart to heart, face to face. We will solve all our problems through talk. Every citizen of this country, whether Turkish, Kurdish, Arab, Sunni, Alevi, right-wing, left-wing, rich, poor, every citizen is a first-class citizen in the eyes of the state."

The meeting was attended by members of the AK Party's Central Executive Committee, Central Decision-Making and Executive Committee, ministers, and members of parliament. In his speech, Erdoğan greeted all party organizations in all 81 provinces and 922 districts. He also commemorated his late chief advisor, Yiğit Bulut, saying, "We bid farewell to our brother Yiğit Bulut, my companion in cause and journey, and also my advisor. He suffered a serious illness. When I visited him in the hospital due to that illness, he was in very, very serious condition. But we always say this: there is a destiny above fate. And I saw that he was cautious, I saw that he was submissive. May God replace his shortcomings with good deeds. May he rest in peace, God willing." Erdoğan also offered his condolences to the 12 soldiers who were martyred after being affected by methane gas during exploration operations in the Pençe-Kilit region.

'AK PARTY IS A POLITICAL MOVEMENT THAT HAS INSTITUTIONALIZED A CULTURE OF CONSULTATION'

Erdoğan stated that the AK Party's consultation meetings have become a trademark in Turkish politics, adding that the sessions to be held today and tomorrow will cover a variety of topics, from security and development to economy and politics. Erdoğan said, "The AK Party is a political movement where the culture of consultation has been institutionalized. Since our founding, our work has always been carried out with common sense, consultation, listening to the nation, and consulting with our nation. We have guided ourselves by the commandment, 'Hold yourself accountable before being held accountable.' We have always strived to do better, to work more effectively and efficiently, and to serve the nation in the best possible way. We have considered different ideas as richness. We have seen constructive criticism as a beacon illuminating our path. It is a fact that consultation not only leads to common sense, but also increases abundance, deepens foresight, strengthens insight, broadens horizons, and further strengthens the brotherhood and solidarity among cadres. We are holding our meeting with this understanding. Our consultation meeting, like the previous ones, will serve as a platform where we hold a mirror up to our party, question ourselves, and take a fine-tuned picture of all issues related to national politics. We ask you to share with us what is in your hearts and minds openly." I especially ask you to share it,” he said.

'OUR MARTYRS WILL ALWAYS BE THE CROWN OF OUR HEADS'

Erdoğan stated that the separatist terrorist organization carried out its first attack 47 years ago, on August 14, 1984, in the Eruh district of Siirt and the Şemdinli district of Hakkari. He said, "In this terrorist attack, we martyred two of our soldiers. Nine civilians were injured. Since then, the separatist organization has carried out attacks against our security forces and civilians. We have martyred nearly 10,000 security personnel in the fight against terrorism. Nearly 50,000 of our citizens have lost their lives in terrorist incidents. First and foremost, I pray once again for God's mercy upon our martyrs and those who lost their lives. We have not forgotten them, and we will not forget them. Our homeland, God willing, will exist forever, and our crescent-star flag, God willing, will wave freely in our skies forever. Our martyrs, who watered our homeland with their blood and stained our crescent-star flag with their blood, will always be the crown of our honor."

'SOME WRONG PRACTICES OF THE STATE ALSO HAD A SHARE'

Erdoğan said, "Unfortunately, after its first attack in 1984, terrorism has escalated daily in Türkiye. Since then, many governments have come and gone. Each one promised to eradicate terrorism. But terrorism has not been eradicated, neither in our lands nor in the lands it has established itself as a stronghold. Certainly, some of the state's misconduct played a role in this. The Beyaz Toros Mountains were one of these, the unsolved murders were one of these, and the Diyarbakır Prison was one of these. Villages burned, people forced to migrate overnight, and mothers unable to speak Kurdish with their children in prison were all examples of these misconduct. Instead of ending terrorism, unlawful and illegitimate methods of struggle fueled it, amplified it, and provided the terrorist organization with a fertile ground to exploit. We have all paid the price for these mistakes. Not only have our security forces been martyred, but civilians have also lost their lives. Turkey has been destabilized by these terrorist attacks. We have faced an economic bill of nearly $2 trillion. Above all, the terrorist organization has inflicted severe damage on the peace, unity, integrity, and fraternity of our country."

"WE PREVENTED TERRORISM ACTS"

Erdoğan stated that they addressed the issue of terrorism multi-dimensionally when they took office after the November 3, 2002, elections. He said, "While fighting terrorism, we also struggled to drain the swamp that provided an excuse for terrorism. We took measures to prevent the terrorist organization from ensnaring our Kurdish brothers and sisters and alienating them from the state and the nation. We took historic steps to uphold the principles of coexistence and brotherhood. While we implemented quiet, revolutionary reforms in democracy and human rights at home, we conducted intense diplomacy abroad. Along with all this, we developed our defense industry. We produced our own anti-terrorism weapons without relying on foreign sources. We took full control of our borders through cross-border operations. Following the treacherous coup attempt of July 15, we purged FETÖ from all our institutions, especially our Armed Forces and Police. Thus, we eliminated the betrayal in the fight against terrorism. In recent years, we have completely broken the terrorist organization's operational capacity. We have prevented terrorist acts from harming officials or civilians."

"THE 47-YEAR-OLD TROUBLE OF TERROR HAS ENTERED THE PROCESS OF ENDING"

Erdoğan, emphasizing their sensitive and cautious management of the Terror-Free Turkey process, said, "Our operations in Iraq and the December 8th revolution in Syria have further strengthened our hand in the fight against terrorism. With the historic call of our alliance partner, Mr. Devlet Bahçeli, we took a series of steps to realize our Terror-Free Turkey project. Our security forces worked in full coordination. We managed a very sensitive and cautious process to capitalize on this window of opportunity that opened before our country. As is known, the terrorist organization convened its congress at the call of İmralı and announced its dissolution. Yesterday, the organization implemented its decision, specifically holding a ceremony and laying down its weapons. As of yesterday, the 47-year scourge of terrorism has entered the process of ending, God willing. Turkey has begun to close a long, painful, tormented, and tear-filled chapter. Let us not forget that today is a new day. Today, a new page has opened in history. Today, the doors of a great Türkiye, a strong Türkiye, a century of Turkey have been flung wide open."

'IT IS NOT THE RESULT OF THE GIVE-BUY PROCESS'

Erdoğan stated that they would never allow Türkiye to bow down, saying, "After the first action in 1984, the Republic of Turkey resorted to every means and method to end terrorism. Looking at examples around the world, formulas beyond armed struggle were tried to end terrorism. However, none of them were successful. The terror-free Turkey project that we have been pursuing recently, I am clearly saying, is not the result of a negotiation, a bargain, or a give-and-take process. That is why we were very careful from the beginning. Today, we are even more careful. We are closely following every initiative that will stop the bloodshed, end the tears of mothers, ease the pain, and strengthen brotherhood. However, everyone should be sure of this: we will not allow the honor and pride of the Republic of Turkey to be trampled. We will never allow Türkiye to bow down. We are pursuing our terror-free Turkey project with this understanding. As you will appreciate, it is not the right of anyone to question the nationalism, patriotism, and love for Turkey of our alliance partner, the Chairman of the Nationalist Movement Party, Mr. Devlet Bahçeli, and his team. Similarly, I am not the right person to question my own actions and those of my colleagues at work. "No one can question the nationalism, patriotism, and love for Turkey of the AK Party cadre, whether they are here or not. This is not anyone's right or place. Together with Mr. Bahçeli and his staff, we have risked our lives, our blood, all our experience, our entire lives for a terror-free Turkey. We have never been, and will never be, involved in anything that is not in the best interest of Türkiye. Today, too, our understanding, our policy, our direction, and our efforts are solely for the good of Türkiye. You will see us at the forefront of every initiative that benefits Türkiye. And in every initiative that is not in the best interest of Türkiye, you will see us at the forefront, directly opposing that initiative. We know exactly what we are doing. No one should be afraid, no one should be uneasy, no one should be worried, no one should have any questions in their minds. Whatever we do, we do it for Turkey. We do it for our nation, for our independence, for our future," he said.

'TERRORISM WILL END, EVERYONE WILL BE UNEMPLOYED'

President Erdoğan, stating that terrorism has created an industry, an ecosystem with its opponents from the very beginning, said, “Those who appear to be against terrorism have profited from terrorist acts just as much as those on the side of terrorism have. They exploited the nation. They fueled instability. They attempted to profit from terrorist attacks for their own dirty purposes. These are the very people who are revealing themselves these days. The fact that terrorism is ending disturbs them the most. Because the doors to profiteering are closing, because their interests are being damaged, because their schemes are being foiled, because they are losing the toy they were holding. They are working diligently to confuse the situation and darken minds. Let my nation see this. Let my nation not forget that we will become much stronger as we see this. They say we are nationalists, right? They say we are patriots. Terrorism is ending, so be happy. But they cannot. By reading minds, by dreaming, by fabricating conspiracy theories, by spreading fear, by outright lying, they are trying to overshadow the nation's joy and shatter its burgeoning hopes.” No matter what they do, terrorism will end. You will see, they will all be unemployed. As terrorism ends today, so does the exploitation of terrorism. Our greatest wish is for my nation to see these false heroes. Let there be no doubt in anyone's mind. As the government and the AK Party, our struggle over the last 23 years, our pressure and efforts at home and abroad, have begun to bear fruit. Turkey has won, my nation has won. Turks, Kurds, Arabs, every one of our 86 million citizens has won. I emphasize once again: We will not participate in any attempt that threatens our unity, our integrity, our homeland, our state, our nation, our peace, our honor, and our pride. We will never, ever allow such attempts.

'OUR NATION SHOULD HAVE A FESTIVAL'

Erdoğan said, "The Republic of Turkey stands tall, and in fact, the Republic of Turkey is much more powerful, magnificent, proud, and honorable today than it was yesterday, and most importantly, it is much more hopeful for its future than it was yesterday. Thank God, the 47-year period is coming to an end. The wall of terror erected between the members of our nation is coming down. Stop being anxious. Every single member of our cherished nation should be happy and rejoice in this situation, and every street, avenue, and household in Türkiye should be adorned with our crescent and star flag."

'ANKARA IS OUR COMMON CITY'

Erdoğan stated that when Turks are mentioned, Muslims come to mind, and when Muslims are mentioned, Turks come to mind first, saying, “We are not a nation that emerged on the stage of history yesterday. We know that Turks have been on the stage of history since the 8th century BC, under the names of Scythians and Sakas. In 751, in the Battle of Talas, Turks were introduced to Islam en masse and were honored with Islam. From that day on, when Turks are mentioned, Muslims come to mind first, and when Muslims are mentioned, Turks come to mind first. After Mecca and Medina, Samarkand, Bukhara, Rey, Merv, Isfahan, Tabriz, Herat, Diyarbakır, Konya, Bursa, Istanbul, Ankara and many more became centers of civilization, centers of science, centers of art and centers of state for Turks and Muslims. As the Seljuk armies reached Baghdad, Damascus and Manzikert, they mingled with their Kurdish and Arab brothers there. Manzikert "The victory, the conquest of Jerusalem, the conquest of Constantinople, the defense of Gallipoli, the War of Independence are the joint wars and victories of Turkish, Kurdish, Arab, and countless other Muslim peoples. Baghdad in A Thousand and One Nights was built by Turks, Kurds, and Arabs. Jerusalem was conquered by Turks, Kurds, and Arabs under the command of Saladin. Damascus is our common city. Diyarbakır is our common city. Mardin, Mosul, Kirkuk, Suleymaniye, Erbil, Aleppo, Hatay, Istanbul, and Ankara are our common cities," he said.

'WHEN WE MADE AN ALLIANCE, WE DRAW THE DIRECTION FOR HISTORY'

Erdoğan said, "When we, the Turks, Kurds, and Arabs, formed an alliance, the wind of our horses spread cool breezes from the China Sea to the Adriatic. Remember, the galloping of our horses spread peace across the region. The clash of swords brought peace to this region. When necessary, we unsheathed our swords and fought shoulder to shoulder. When necessary, we divided a slice of bread into three with our daggers. When necessary, we sheathed our swords and daggers. We took out our pens. We carved the calligraphy of 'La ilahe illallah, Muhammadun Resulullah' together onto the earth, the sky, and each other's hearts. Look at the pages of history. When we formed an alliance, no one could stand before our horses, swords, shields, cries, and takbirs. When we formed an alliance, no one could compete with our civilization, our art, our knowledge, our level of prosperity. If Turks, Kurds, and Arabs are together, as one, together, then there is a Turk, a Kurd, and an Arab. When they are divided, When they are divided, when they are estranged, there is defeat, humiliation, and sorrow. Mongol armies ruthlessly destroyed Islamic lands because Turks, Kurds, and Arabs were divided. Crusaders attacked Islamic lands because Turks, Kurds, and Arabs were separated from one another. We lost World War I, borders were drawn between us, walls were built. We lost Jerusalem because there was division. Whenever we separated, we lost, we were defeated. Whenever we made an alliance, we charted the course of history," he said.

'WE WILL TALK FACE TO FACE'

Stating that terrorism is making Türkiye lose time, Erdoğan said, "Today, in Gaza, in Palestine, the most brutal, the most barbaric genocide in history is being carried out. Why? Because Turks, Kurds, and Arabs cannot come together and form an alliance as they have throughout history. The ultimate goal of terrorism was not to divide Türkiye. No one has the power to divide Türkiye. But they delayed us, made us waste time, caused us economic losses, and wasted our energy. Most of all, they tried to sow discord between us, between Turks and Kurds. Who won? Who won in 47 years? The terror barons won, the terror sector won. Those who feed on blood won. Those who have dirty plans against Turks, Kurds, and Arabs won. Today, we are disrupting and turning this dirty game, this dirty scheme, this movement of discord upside down. History is repeating itself. Today, Turks and Kurds are embracing each other again with love, without any obstacles. I thank my Lord. Today, the spirit of Manzikert, today the Jerusalem alliance, today the core of the War of Independence is reborn." "It's taking shape. Today, the dawn of a great and powerful Türkiye is breaking. Now, we will sit down and talk. Not with weapons, not with violence, not for conflict, but for love, for brotherhood, by removing the barrier of terrorism between us. We will talk face to face, heart to heart, face to face. We will solve all our problems through conversation. Every citizen of this country, whether Turkish, Kurdish, Arab, Sunni, Alevi, right-wing, left-wing, rich, poor, every citizen is a first-class citizen in the eyes of the state. Remember, the Republic of Turkey is our common home, our common roof. 86 million of us are one, we are together, we are brothers from time immemorial. Despite all our differences, we are all Turkey together. We have been fighting for this for 23 years, and God willing, Türkiye will crown this struggle," he said.

'WE WILL CARRY THIS PROCESS TO THE FUTURE BY COOKED'

Erdoğan, stating that a commission will be established in the Turkish Grand National Assembly, said, "My Kurdish brother, do you have a problem? We will sit down and talk without weapons, violence, or terror. My Alevi brother, do you have a problem? We will solve it through dialogue. Believe me, abundance will come to our table. Peace will come to our vast Turkish household. With that abundance, with that peace, we will overcome every obstacle, walk to the future, and look to the future. Let us not forget that when hearts are united, borders disappear. As the first step, we will establish a commission in the Turkish Grand National Assembly and begin to discuss the legal requirements of the process under the roof of the Assembly. I emphasize that, as the People's Alliance, together with the AK Party, the Nationalist Movement Party, and the DEM delegation, we will carry this process into the future. The DEM delegation met with our Parliament Speaker yesterday. We believe that the strong contribution that our veteran Assembly will make to the process is of critical importance for the success of the work being carried out. In this process, we met with our late brother Sırrı Süreyya, then with Ms. Pervin Buldan, and "I met with Mithat Sancar again this week. We sat down and talked. We discussed what we could do together for this march. Apparently, that means something better is coming. I hope our Parliament will support this beneficial process with the broadest possible participation and a constructive and facilitative approach," he said.

'THE MESSAGES GIVEN WERE VERY POSITIVE'

Regarding the situation in Iraq and Syria, Erdoğan said, "Remember, it's not just our Kurdish citizens' issue, but also our Kurdish brothers and sisters in Iraq and Syria. We're discussing and talking with them about this process, and they're very happy. These developments in Türkiye, and especially the steps taken yesterday, have created very different voices in Iraq. It's essential for our Kurdish brothers and sisters in Syria to live in peace, tranquility, and security. And the Turkish Ambassador, as you know, is also responsible for Syria; he's practically Syria's representative. They held meetings and discussions in Syria, and the messages they sent from there were very positive, very pleasing for us as well. We continue to work with the new Syrian government and our international partners to quickly establish such an environment. I wholeheartedly believe that the book on terrorism will be closed there, that brotherhood will prevail, that unity, solidarity, and integrity will prevail."

"WE DECIDED TO WALK TOGETHER AS A THREE"

Stating that they will build the Century of Turkey hand in hand, Erdoğan said, “AK Party, Nationalist Movement Party, DEM; we, at least as a threesome, have decided to walk this path together. We have troubles, we are troubled. Since we have troubles, since we are troubled, since we are joining hands, with God’s permission, we will overcome these obstacles. Let everyone know that there is no need to clench fists anymore. We will shake hands, embrace each other, talk, and walk step by step towards each other. With God’s permission, we will build the Century of Turkey together, hand in hand, heart to heart. With the end of terrorism, remember, the Republic of Turkey will be much stronger, much more self-confident than before. We will now devote our energy to our primary job. We will mobilize our resources not for the fight against terrorism, but for development, for prosperity, for a prosperous and victorious Turkey. Turkey will grow with brotherhood. Turkey will be strengthened with democracy. Turkey will walk towards the future in stability and security. You will see, we will attain a very different Türkiye as soon as possible. I emphasize this and say it again; "We will provide every kind of assistance to those who take a step. Remember, we will open the door wide to those who seek a way out. But tide doesn't flow backwards, and if it does, we will do what is necessary," he said.

Erdogan continued:

Let no one be alarmed. Turks are much safer and stronger than they were yesterday. Kurds and Arabs are much safer and stronger than they were yesterday. I know it won't be easy to overcome the pain. Leaving painful memories behind will certainly not be easy. Our losses will undoubtedly never come back. But, God willing, our young people will never leave us again in the prime of their lives. God willing, our mothers will not shed tears, they will not experience the pain of losing a child. We have overcome so many hardships, so many traps, and come to this day. We will heal our wounds and continue on our path, stronger and more determined. As a country and a nation, we possess this self-confidence and this willpower in abundance. We will facilitate the swift conclusion of this process, without hurting, upsetting, or offending anyone, and in accordance with the sensitivity of the process. We will meticulously monitor the delivery of weapons through the established mechanism.

'OUR MARTYRS CARRIED Türkiye HERE'

Erdoğan, stating that no one can lay hands on the precious memory of the martyrs, said, "Be of good cheer. With this point, the goal of our martyrs will have reached its destination. My veteran brothers, be of good cheer. With this point, your sacrifice will be crowned. Our martyrs carried Türkiye to this point, our veterans carried it. We are grateful to each and every one of them, and we will never allow their memory to be trampled. The late Mehmet Akif gave the good news 104 years ago what needed to be said today: Yes, wave like the dawn, oh glorious crescent. Let all my blood shed be now, forgiven. No destruction for you, no destruction for my race, forever. Freedom is the right of my flag that lived freely; independence is the right of my nation that worships God."

Erdoğan concluded by saying, "Today, I once again extend my heartfelt thanks to Mr. Devlet Bahçeli, the Chairman of our alliance partner, the Nationalist Movement Party; to the DEM Party delegation, which embraced the process with a sensible tone; and especially to the late Sırrı Süreyya Önder; to the political parties and actors who, despite our different perspectives, demonstrated the foresight to take a national stance on national issues; to our press organizations and journalists who supported the process through responsible publishing; and to our other colleagues whose names are preserved with us. I also extend my thanks to the Iraqi Central Government and the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government, which supported the work of our security forces. I pray to God Almighty that He may achieve our hopes and protect us from troubles and calamities."

DHA

Reporter: News Center