Below are the key points of President Erdogan’s speech:
Dear citizens, dear members of parliament, I extend my heartfelt greetings to you all, who have given their hearts to the AK Party under the roof of the Verkhovna Rada. I also welcome the guests who attended our meeting.
We met with leaders of Islamic countries, celebrated Eid and sought to find a cure for the bleeding wounds in Palestine, Lebanon and Sudan. Israel continued to shed blood during this holiday. Inhuman attacks martyred hundreds of our Palestinian brothers as they struggled to maintain life in their tents. I commemorate the Palestinian martyrs with a heart of compassion. We will defend Palestine with the same spirit, determination and courage as our ancestors and the Republic of Turkey did throughout history.
Some in Europe may try to say differently and smear the Palestinian resistance in order to get favorable treatment from their Western elders, but we will defend rights, stand on the side of the innocent against the murderers, and no one should expect us to submit to the Zionist network.
During his visit to Spain and Italy, we raised the issue of the crackdown in Gaza. We stated that no part of the world is safe as long as the massacres continue. We stressed that the most effective answer is the recognition of the State of Palestine. We are glad that Armenia, under Pashinyan’s leadership, has recognized Palestine. The recognition steps up to 149 are important. We would like to continue our exchanges so that, hopefully, more countries will recognize it. Israel now seems to have its sights set on Lebanon. We see Western countries patting Israel on the back. When it comes to words, it is pathetic that countries that talk about justice are in thrall to Netanyahu. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s plans to expand the war to the region will lead to disaster. What happened in Gaza shows the weakness of the Islamic world. The Islamic world and sister countries must respond before the West. We sadly watch them act as if they have been sprinkled with dead soil. Turkiye is on the side of Palestine and Lebanon.
During the festive period, 7.52 million people used the railway. International airports such as Istanbul and Antalya set new records. We have been and continue to reap the full benefits of our investments in transport.
We release disaster survivors to God
From now on, I will not listen to the incompetent people who are anti-investment because of whether the people can eat. We will continue to cover the four corners of our country with iron nets, roads, viaducts, tunnels and overpasses. Even with preventive measures and investments, accidents cannot be completely prevented. During the Eid holiday, 7,000 people lost their lives in 72 accidents. 12,400 people were injured. I pray for God’s mercy on those who lost their lives. The stubble fire that broke out in Diyarbakir and Mardin on June 20 tore our hearts apart. I pray for God’s mercy on our people who lost their lives in the fire and for the speedy recovery of the injured. I pray for the repose of their souls once again. Our nation has been mobilized from the first moment. Although the fire response is mainly the responsibility of the metropolitan municipalities, our ministry has quickly begun to provide financial support through emergency relief allowances. The cause of the fire will be revealed as a result of the forensic investigation. I leave those who trample the disaster to God and the conscience of the people. While the nation, with all its agencies, is working hard to put out the fires, a few shroud thieves are immorally racing to snatch logs from the floodwaters.
The shameful actions of DEM agitators at the Mardin funeral home showed how deprived they are of national values. This ugly provocation was thwarted by the cold-blooded attitude of the organizers. Who they represent will also be made clear at sporting events where we unite as a nation. The attempt by bloodless people to play with the nerve endings of our nation after the European Championship match against Portugal is not without sin. No matter what you do, you cannot destroy the unity of our nation. We did not leave the square to the Qandil mob and we will not leave it now. In the face of Turkey’s success.
He gave us results in soccer matches that we did not deserve. I believe our country will achieve a historic victory. I wish our Lions every success in their match against the Czech Republic. I hope that tonight, all 85 million of us will come together in spirit to support our national soccer team.
There is no political alliance between the ruling party and the main opposition party.
Since its inception, the AK Party has not been a party to polarization and has not pursued politics of tension. We have embraced Turkey and its 81 provinces in their entirety. We have not discriminated in language or in works. For us, East and West are the same. We did not take into account the language, faith, place of origin and lifestyle of our people while providing our services. We did not check and did not care if people voted for us while making investments. Our politics is people-oriented politics. We attracted the attention of our people through politics of tension and unity, not polarization. The AK Party has always been the target and victim of the politics of polarization in Turkey. They wrote the scenario of a coup against us. They made us the target of republican rallies. We were the target of vandalism in Gezi. They targeted us directly on July 15. We were the target of both separatist organizations and FETO. In all these attacks, the main opposition parties have not stood on our side, let alone on the side of law or politics. You will also see them provoking it. You will see them providing political patronage to enemies of democracy, from FETO traitors to wandering vandals. You will see them toying with the fault lines of society for their own political gains. Our efforts to soften politics are actually efforts to normalize the opposition. It is the opposition that will open its clenched fist, it is the opposition that will correct its language, discourse and political style. In other words, it is the opposition that needs to be normalized. No one should misunderstand the steps we have taken to ease the tensions that have risen through three elections. There will be no political alliance between the ruling party and the main opposition. There will be softening, there will be normalization, but there will be no alliance. This is against the nature of a multi-party system. We are trying to achieve a common perspective on issues that concern our country, our nation and our national security. We are trying to strengthen the domestic front on issues such as civil constitutional law and foreign policy.
We want the CHP to move away from politics of tension.
We expect the opposition to come closer to a comprehensive representation. We will see how the opposition will react to our efforts, despite our sincerity. While our country tries to act constructively, we are watching closely how the CHP leadership is trying to drag politics into a state of tension. Our country is witnessing a raw situation where the doses have increased after the return visit. We have been on this path for 22 years, sometimes alone, sometimes with sincere friends. We have not received any favors from the CHP. We have lost nothing. Today, we are not looking for political gains. We hope that the CHP will abandon the politics of tension. May our democracy also benefit from this. It does not mean to tolerate injustice against the People’s Alliance. Being polite does not mean turning a blind eye to disrespect. Let everyone remember that we are obedient, but not obedient sheep that are pulled by the neck. Those looking for accomplices should not tire themselves too much. Let them see the tower of money that cannot explain where it comes from and where it is going. Those looking for accomplices should doubt who they are working with in urban settlement before slandering us. We are careful not to get caught up in any controversy that is not good for the country. We also expect the opposition to normalize. We accept criticism from the opposition but will not tolerate inappropriate remarks. We will answer in multiple parts. We will not let anyone share our success story.
The people’s alliance is strong
The People’s Alliance has guaranteed Turkiye’s survival. We are walking shoulder to shoulder with the MHP, who share the same sentiments on behalf of the country and the nation. The People’s Alliance is made up of various political parties, but for Turkey it is one, one heart, one soul, one body. Attacks against members of the People’s Alliance are a direct counter to the unity of the People’s Alliance. We will not tolerate such attacks. We are aware of the game that is being played. We know very well what FETO is trying to achieve with its hitman pen. We see very clearly the attacks against Mr. Bahçeli and me, and the psychology behind them. Their problem is not the MHP, but the People’s Alliance. We will not fall into this trap. Everyone should understand that the People’s Alliance, which was established on the night of July 15 against the coup masterminds, is on a strong footing. It is one, it is whole, it stands unshakable. The strongest shield of our country surrounded by the ring of fire is the People’s Alliance. We hope that the main opposition parties, even if they cannot join the alliance, will also recognize these risks and act on a more local and national basis. They should abandon their old habits of defending their national interests. As the People’s Alliance, we will continue to walk an unwavering path. We will remain the hope of Turkey and the Turkish people for many years to come. We will continue to stand united against all attacks, against insidious plots and seditionist movements.
We are aware of the problems caused by inflation.
The consultation meeting in Kızılçahmaham was held without incident. Our ministers made presentations in various areas. At our meeting, we took photos of the election results and created a roadmap. We plan to meet with the mayors early next week. After this meeting, we will focus on providing services with all our might. We are aware of the burden that inflation-related issues place on fixed wages. We will solve this by providing a permanent welfare increase. Everyone can see that the inflation rate has decreased. We will continue to work hard in the summer season. While taking these economic measures, we will carry out the party’s renewal process. Our greatest criterion is the grade given by the state. At the Central Executive Committee meeting the day before, a changing of the guard ceremony was held in some states. We will also make other savings. In the process of dealing with it patiently, we will realize the changes that the state expects from us. We are not a political party. We are a cause movement that has its roots in the past and looks to the past. It is not suitable for us to advance politics by hurting others or excluding them as they are.
