“We will proudly wear the Ansar honor for Syrian refugees as a badge on our chests. We will not take any action to conceal it or inflict pain on the oppressed people who have fallen under its umbrella. It is the fruit of our nation’s compassion over the past 13 years,” Erdogan said.
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Published: 02.07.2024 – 20:37 Updated: 02.07.2024 – 20:54
The Cabinet met with a busy agenda after a break of about a month.
After the meeting, which lasted two hours and 45 minutes, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appeared in front of the cameras.
In his speech, President Erdogan referred to the provocations that began in Kayseri and spread to northern Syria.
“Just as we know how to cut off the corrupt hands that reach out to our flag, we also know how to cut off the hands that reach out to the oppressed people who take refuge in our country,” Erdogan said.
“We will proudly pass on the honor of being Ansar to Syrian refugees as a badge of honor.”
We will wear the honor of being Ansar to Syrian immigrants proudly on our chests as a badge of honor, and we will not take any action that would cast a shadow over this and cause suffering to the oppressed people who have been under the umbrella of our nation’s mercy for 13 years.
We have always encouraged our Syrian brothers to return voluntarily, in safety and with dignity: 670,000 people have returned to the settlements where we have cleared northern Syria of separatist terrorism.
Another million homes will be added to this figure once the Qatari-backed housing projects are completed. Revenues will also increase once a peaceful environment is established in Syria.
“We will not fall into such an insidious trap.”
Highlights from President Erdogan’s speech.
We clearly remember what price our country paid through agents of influence in the past. The same chaos was planned by the extremely shameful harassment in Kayseri. The same was planned in Syria. We know very well who serves as these extras. We will not fall into such insidious traps.
We will not succumb to racist vandalism. We know how to cut off the hands that reach out to the oppressed just as we cut off the hands that reach out to our flag.
Following the incident in Kayseri, 474 provocateurs who attacked police and damaged workplaces and homes were arrested.
Turkey’s presence in Syria is to protect against terrorist attacks.
Public safety is a red line in our state that must not be crossed, and we are not willing to say goodbye to this line being ignored.
The green homeland is protected
We try our best to prevent forest fires, but 90 percent of them are man-made.
We have taken significant steps to effectively fight forest fires.
We operate a fleet of 26 aircraft, 105 helicopters and over 5,000 ground vehicles, all of which have been modernized with the latest technology.
We currently monitor Yesil Batanu 24/7 with 14 Bayraktar TB2 UAVs. We are one of two countries using unmanned aerial vehicles for firefighting. We monitor the forest with 776 towers, 184 of which are smart.
4,744 swimming pools and ponds have been constructed. Artificial intelligence-based systems are in operation. 25,000 employees and 122,000 volunteers are dedicated to protecting the forests.
We hope that the public will take greater care in protecting and conserving our forests. As we enter the height of the summer heat, let us not forget that even the slightest negligence can result in major damage.
“Most people who criticize agricultural policy are acting with prejudice.”
Most of those who criticize our government’s agricultural policies are acting with prejudice: they see the agricultural issue, like all other issues, as exploitation.
Agriculture is an important profession and a very strategic sector for our country. We have always tried to do justice to our peasant brothers. Over the past 21 years, we have provided agricultural support in real terms of 1,364 billion liras. In 2024, 56 billion liras of support payments were made. The agricultural support target for 2024 is 91.5 billion liras.
“Farmers will not be sacrificed”
Our soil product offices strive to receive farmers’ products as quickly as possible, store them if necessary, and make payments on time. The office has begun making payments to producers who have delivered their grain.
We have paid those who provided us with products by June 6th. Farmers will not be sacrificed. We will support farmers in every way possible.
“Unless Prime Minister Netanyahu is stopped, no province in the region, including Turkiye, will be safe.”
We see Israel, which enjoys military, diplomatic and political support from the West, turning its attention to its neighbors. The increase in attacks and threatening rhetoric against Lebanon makes us seriously concerned about the future of our region.
As long as the West supports it and the Islamic world remains silent, the villain Netanyahu will likely continue his occupation policy at the cost of dragging the entire region into flames.
As long as Israeli aggression under Netanyahu is not stopped, no state in the region, including Turkiye, will be safe.
Early election debate
The early election debate reflects the civil war that has begun within the opposition. As in many other places, the rebels here too seem to be going after Turkey. The opposition is trying to hide its arm-wrestling among itself. We will focus only on our work. We are trying to make the most of four years, each of which is worth like gold. The opposition should not conduct its internal liquidation in a way that harms the country and the economy.
We will continue the construction of Türkiye’s century.
