Below are the key points of President Erdogan’s speech:
From here, I would like to extend my greetings to all the members and citizens of the AK Party who are committed to the struggle for national service. I welcome all the brothers and sisters who will be enlivening our group gathering.
Dr. Sadik Ahmet’s name was synonymous with defending the values he believed in. The late Dr. Sadik Ahmet has made a great contribution to the current interests of the Turkish minority in Western Thrace. I remember him once again and pray for the perseverance of his family.
In our meetings with the Greek authorities, the issues of our brethren in Western Thrace are at the top of the agenda, and issues relating to religion, worship and education are constantly monitored. We will continue to support the Turkish minority in Western Thrace. The same applies to the rights of Turkish Cypriots, who have been subjected to injustice and discrimination for almost a quarter of a century since the 1960s.
“We have expressed our position in the TRNC.”
We can never forget the burnt villages, the murdered children, the tragedy of our Cypriot brothers. While all these atrocities were taking place, the Western organizations did nothing. With the peace operation of 20 July 1974, Turkiye crushed the Turkish Cypriots’ will for independence. The policy of trying to crush the Turkish Cypriot will for independence has continued more and more ever since.
Unfortunately, no solution emerged from the negotiating table. We and the Turkish Cypriots are satisfied with the proposal based on federalism. We have made our position clear. We have reaffirmed to the world that we care about the Cypriot cause and the independence of the TRNC. We will continue to support the Turkish Cypriots to stand on their own feet.
“It’s important for the normalization of the opposition.”
We are particularly concerned that the opposition will abandon the politics of complaining about Turkey abroad. CHP deputies have traveled from country to country in Europe and acted as volunteer lawyers for the PKK. The CHP has also taken up the task of acquitting the perpetrators of July 15. I think it is noteworthy that this attitude, which does not fit with Turkey and Turkish politics, frankly marks a change in terms of the normalization of the opposition.
We do not leave our outstretched hands in the air. We have taken important steps in this direction over the last year. We have improved our relations not only with our neighbors but also with many international organizations.
“The worst of inflation is over”
We are also overcoming our economic difficulties. We are beginning to see the results of our medium-term management plan. The worst of inflation is over. It will decrease even more noticeably from now on. We can see that pricing actions are in balance with the market. We will bring inflation down to the target level. Credit rating agencies are also improving Turkiye’s reputation. This upgrade, which came exactly 11 years later, is actually a long overdue measure. May our country rest in peace. Turkiye is on the right track and is moving firmly towards its goal. Just as we reduced inflation to single digits before, we intend to do it again. No other party can achieve this better than the AK Party.
They resorted to the same hypocrisy during the elections. They talked about making water cheaper, but now they are raising it by 500 percent. They talked about benefits, but now their municipality is not home to relatives. Whatever service is provided within the municipality, from parking to public transport, they have increased it without hesitation. Just four months ago they were handing out large sums of money in the square, but now they won’t even let retirees near their front door.
From here, I would like to say to Chairman Ozgür Ozer, “Honest politics requires keeping promises. You cannot promise bigger and then be ashamed of not keeping the promises you make. If you have the power, please tell the mayors: Reduce the price increases for services that are provided free of charge.”
“Our ministry will begin settling the debt.”
Now, the Treasury Department will begin a source analysis of these debts with regard to the debts of local governments. There are no such 25-cent bagels. We cannot allow the wealth of the nation to be spent elsewhere. Therefore, our department will be on the ground to make this collection. We have never resorted to such cheap means in politics, nor have we made such promises just because we would win an election. Of course, there were times when we really wanted to do something but could not for reasons beyond our will. But our employees are a witness to our efforts and sincerity.
“I increased my pension to $380.”
It is our primary duty to stand by our retirees. For the past 21 years, we have taken steps to improve the quality of life of our retirees. We increased pensions to $380 and started paying holiday bonuses to retirees. Under the guidance of the public bank, a promotion was made to be paid to retirees. Despite all these efforts we have made, I am aware of all the problems you are experiencing as my President. We will mobilize all our resources to solve the problems. We are not the kind of people who make promises in the public square and then forget. We were among those who stuck to their promises. We are determined not to repeat the mistakes made by our predecessors. This country has suffered a lot from people competing for promises in the public square. We cannot afford to repeat such mistakes again. Our goal is to improve the lasting welfare of our people without putting our economy in an inflationary spiral.
No intermediaries are needed. No cars are needed. It is our beloved people who founded the AK Party. It is the communication he established with the people that created the first party 22 years ago and has carried it to this day. We have not turned a deaf ear to any problems. We have never joined those who turn a blind eye. We share your troubles and have always lived with the nation. It does not matter what others say or think. We paid attention to what people think and say.
Stray dog problem
What will the opposition and the media say? Neither from the opposition nor from the media. We do not look at any of these and do not care. We continue on our path. We only consider the state and our common expectations and take measures accordingly. Today we must speak openly about some things. Some stubbornly ignore it, but in Turkey we have a problem with stray dogs. We are faced with an amount of stray dogs that cannot be seen in any country or modern city in the world. Moreover, stray dogs attack children, people and other animals, causing road accidents. Not even counting that he has issued a warning to foreign nationals about the increase in rabies cases. Without intervention, the problem will get out of hand. The public wants the streets to be safe, their children to go to school safely and play in the parks. It is unthinkable for us to not comply silently with these demands. No one should try to teach us a lesson in compassion regarding animals.
“This proposal will be legal and our streets will be safer.”
Those who praise a pack of bloodthirsty killers in the mountains cannot speak to us of conscience or mercy. Remember that crocodile tears are not from mercy. Those who have compassion for any living creature, let alone humans or innocent children, cannot be such rude. How can a person who cannot empathize with a mother who has lost her liver communicate with other living creatures? How can they love dogs when they hate humans? Furthermore, some people, supported by opposition lawmakers, have occupied the corridors of the National Assembly and hurled abuse at the National Assembly members, calling them murderers, under the roof of the National Assembly. National Assembly members are representatives of the people, representatives of 85 million people. Those who called him a murderer and those who took him and gave him courage have both disrespected the entire nation. We are not a group that will ignore this disrespect. This is a veteran National Assembly. It is the National Assembly of the country. No one will cast a shadow on the reputation and status of the Ghazi Assembly. The necessary measures should be taken even more stringently to ensure that such disrespect does not happen again. The bill was accepted by the committee yesterday. This issue will be left to the discretion of the General Assembly before the Legislature adjourns, and we will ensure our streets are safe by enacting this proposal without overreach.
There will be no compromise. Let’s get this job done if we can. The passing of this proposal into law is just the beginning. The next process is adoption. We expect support from all those who frown upon the campaign to adopt stray dogs.
