“We are making Turkey one of the centers of peace diplomacy.”
“We are making Turkey one of the centers of peace diplomacy.”
In his speech at the AK Party’s Group Meeting at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM), President Erdoğan stated, "As Turkey, we are not only carrying the banner of goodness but also spreading the climate of peace, security, and tranquility, especially to the oppressed regions, and to all corners of the world. We are taking Turkey beyond being the source of stability in its region, making it one of the central hubs of peace diplomacy."
President and AK Party Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended the AK Party Group Meeting at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) and delivered a speech. In his speech, Erdoğan wished that the consultations and evaluations they would carry out would bring good things for Turkey, the nation, and democracy.
Sending his love and respect to all his comrades who share the same passion and have supported the same cause, President Erdoğan said, "On this occasion, I once again express my gratitude to my organization, which turned February 23 into a democracy celebration in Ankara despite the cold that reached minus 10 degrees. I congratulate the brothers and sisters who took part in our congress and thank those who handed over their duties for their efforts and services to our cause."
President Erdoğan expressed pride in AK Party’s organization members, who are each a monument to loyalty, and as their General Chairman, he said, "May God make our solidarity and love everlasting."
“A SECTARIAN STRIFE IS TRYING TO BE SPARKED IN SYRIA”
President Erdoğan continued his speech: "We are going through a difficult process where tensions, wars, and brotherly conflicts are taking place, both in our region and in different corners of the world. Our Sudanese brothers have been struggling with instability for a long time. We see that Somalia, Libya, Yemen, and Afghanistan are facing serious challenges. In Gaza, after long negotiations, the ceasefire achieved is still continuing, despite all the provocations and violations of the Zionist regime. In Syria, where 14 years of oppression ended with the December 8th revolution, a sectarian strife is being attempted. Despite all the negative developments, as a country, nation, and AK Party, we keep our hope alive and maintain our determination in the strongest way. Without being discouraged by difficulties, without getting caught in obstacles, and without falling into traps, we draw strength and courage from our brotherhood, our history, and our deep-rooted experience of thousands of years. As our late teacher Erbakan expressed, we are working day and night to be ‘a motor for goodness, a brake for evil.’"
Recalling the words of writer Mustafa Kutlu, "Do something beautiful, let it lead to peace, let it open the way to tenderness, inspire enthusiasm, and point to the truth; do something right, protect people from the swamp of lies and falsehood; do something good, let it be composed of service, respect, and compassion, soften hearts, heal the troubles of the poor, travelers, and weak; do something just, never deviate from justice, inform the oppressor of his limits, give the oppressed their due," President Erdoğan said, "This is the noble effort we are in. Starting with our close environment, we strive to contribute to peace, goodness, tranquility, and justice both within and outside our country."
“OUR SERVICES WILL REACH THE PEOPLE”
Underlining that they would not be in the pursuit of showmanship, President Erdoğan stated, "We will not spend 5 liras on advertising a 3-lira service. We will never turn citizens' problems, struggles, needs, and grievances into political tools or leverage for the opposition, as they do. Do not forget, dear brothers and sisters, we are not after making advertisements or shows; we are after winning hearts, entering hearts. We are a team that acts with the aim of healing a wound, providing a cure for a disease, or meeting a need. We come from a political culture like this. Of course, we will tell people what we have done. We will ensure that our services reach the people, but while doing so, we will not behave recklessly like some others, we will not humiliate our people. We will carry out all our activities with dignity. We will never deviate from humility and sincerity. This is the nobility and dignity that suits AK Party cadres."
President Erdoğan emphasized that the approach that suits this movement is an inclusive one that embraces all 85 million people, and he congratulated all of his companions on their Ramadan.
“TURKEY IS SPREADING THE PEACEFUL CLIMATE OF PEACE TO ALL CORNERS OF THE WORLD”
President Erdoğan stated, "In this blessed season of mercy, when heartfelt prayers are not turned away, we wholeheartedly say ‘Amen’ to the prayer of the late Mehmet Akif: ‘O Lord, for the sake of this magnificent Ramadan, remove any obstacle to unity; O Lord, may the Ummah not fall into despair due to centuries of division.’ I pray that Ramadan becomes a source of prosperity, peace, and solidarity for our country, our nation, the Islamic world, and all humanity."
President Erdoğan continued, "As Turkey, we are not only carrying the banner of goodness but also spreading the climate of peace, security, and tranquility to all corners of the world, especially to oppressed regions." He stated that they were beginning to reap the results of their efforts with the motto "A fairer world is possible."
President Erdoğan emphasized that Turkey has moved beyond being a source of stability in its region and is now becoming one of the central hubs of peace diplomacy.
A video showcasing Turkey's peace diplomacy was later shown in the hall.
After the video, President Erdoğan continued his speech, reminding the audience that today marks a very meaningful anniversary, as it is the 104th anniversary of the acceptance of the National Anthem, the İstiklal Marşı. He recalled that the İstiklal Marşı was accepted by the Turkish Grand National Assembly as Turkey's national anthem and honored its author, the late Mehmet Akif Ersoy, with prayers.
President Erdoğan stated, "It is a fact that our İstiklal Marşı is not just an ordinary poem or an ordinary anthem. Our İstiklal Marşı, the symbol of our independence, is also the symbol of the feelings, heroism, and noble character of our proud nation, embedded in verses, sentences, words, and letters. This anthem is a monument of resistance against imperialism by a nation whose lands were attempted to be occupied by invaders, and it is the declaration of existence. Our İstiklal Marşı is a foundational and profound text that begins with the words 'Do not fear' addressed to Hz. Abu Bakr by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) when they were trapped in the Cave of Sevr during the Hijra."
President Erdoğan emphasized that the İstiklal Marşı, which narrates the epic story of Anatolia being established as the eternal homeland of the nation, is also the sanctuary for all those who fought alongside the nation against colonialism and imperialism.
"Protecting Turkey's unity, peace, security, and integrity is our collective responsibility. It is a shared duty towards the nation. Being in the opposition does not change this fact; it should not change it," said President Erdoğan. "Another point is that, in this country, Kurds, Alevis, conservatives, and democrats have all suffered the harshest oppression from the CHP and its fascist mindset. The CHP leadership, instead of exploiting and inciting our Alevi citizens, should first repent for the injustices they inflicted upon them."
He added, "While working towards the goal of a terror-free Turkey, I openly and clearly say that creating new fault lines that are prone to exploitation while solving the country's 40-year-old problem is nothing but serving imperialism."
President Erdoğan continued, "Whoever attempts to harm the brotherhood of this nation with the encouragement of a few imperialists will face us, our state, and all 85 million of us. We have seen this plot many times over the past 22 years. We have seen this dirty game before, in the 27 May incident, the 12 March memorandum, the 12 September coup, the 28 February post-modern coup, and the bloody and treacherous roads leading to them. We have witnessed these kinds of statements and attempts to intervene in our democracy and economy, in various traps designed to drag Turkey into a quagmire of instability. We have seen this twisted scenario before in Maraş, Çorum, Sivas, Gazi Neighborhood, and other places. To those who are still chasing after the same desires, I say once again: You will not succeed. You will not harm our brotherhood. You will not keep us from our goal of the Turkey Century. By stirring up Turkey’s internal dynamics, you will not be able to confine this nation to its internal agenda again. With God's permission, this time you will not succeed in pushing Turkey out of the global race for democracy and development."
President Erdoğan stressed that as the AK Party and the People's Alliance, they will not allow new problems and new divisions to arise in the country. He emphasized that, without any distinction, all 85 million will tightly hold onto the ancient values that the İstiklal Marşı advocates.
President Erdoğan, remembering Mehmet Akif Ersoy, said, "We owe a debt of gratitude to the late Akif for giving us not just an anthem but a manifesto that will be sung with pride and enthusiasm for generations to come. I also remember with respect the honorable members of the Turkish Grand National Assembly who accepted our İstiklal Marşı."
"WHEN THE FAMILY IS DAMAGED, INDIVIDUALS, SOCIETY, COUNTRY, AND HUMANITY BEGIN TO DECAY"
Pointing out the increasing negative effects of neoliberal culture in a world that has become a global village, President Erdoğan noted that one of the main targets of global culture is family and family values. "No matter what the modern opinion leaders dictate, in our understanding, family is the nucleus, the core, and the guarantee of the future of the nation and country," said President Erdoğan, stressing that a society where the family does not exist, where families are fragmented, and family values are undermined cannot look to the future with confidence and hope.
He stated that the family is the first school for a person, where they learn tolerance, respect, love, honesty, hard work, patriotism, tolerance for differences, patience, solidarity, altruism, and respect for the rights of others, as well as refraining from corruption. In this sense, family is not only the foundation of society but also one of the most important pillars that hold the country together.
President Erdoğan concluded, "God forbid, if the family is damaged, then the individual, society, country, and humanity will decay in turn. That is why we say 'strong family, strong individuals, strong society.'" He further added, "The principle we use to explain our party's philosophy, 'Live the person, so the state survives,' is also the expression of our feeling that 'Live the family, so the nation survives.' Indeed, any individual development that excludes family values, demonizes the family, or relegates the family to the background has no chance of success. Recently, supporters of the CHP gathered at Taksim Square and, by placing the name of family in black bags, symbolically threw it away. Your lives have already been like this, and they will end like this. This is why you are of no use, and you will be of no use. Family is everything to us."
President Erdoğan highlighted that efforts to turn individuals into a small, qualified, free, but isolated person have become a global siege.
"HOME MEANS THE PLACE WHERE BASIC EDUCATION AND TEACHINGS ABOUT LIFE AND HUMANITY ARE RECEIVED"
President Erdoğan, drawing attention to the priority of Western populism in the last century being the dismantling of the family and increasing the number of individualistic people in society, stated, "Now, they are paying the heaviest price for this. They cannot escape the deadlock they are stuck in due to wrong policies."
Emphasizing that the concept of a home should not be equated with the number of rooms in a house, President Erdoğan said, "A home is not just a certain square meter of space. A home is a place where beautiful time is spent together, memories are made, peace is found under the roof, and fundamental life and human education and teachings take place. Children go to school to add letters, numbers, and skills to this strong foundation they have gained at home. Therefore, school is not a replacement for the family, but rather an institution that should complement the education, morality, and values taught within the family."
President Erdoğan pointed out that the family institution, which is of vital importance, is under multidimensional siege. He highlighted issues such as population and demographic changes, the imposition of perverse ideologies like gender-neutrality, the decline of extended families, the decreasing number of children in nuclear families, the rising age of marriage, the increasing divorce rates, and the growing number of single-parent families. He stated that these issues have weakened and eroded the family institution, just like the sun melts the snow.
Despite Turkey’s strong culture and family values, President Erdoğan noted that the country is also targeted by these threats and is among the ones most affected. Referring to the figures shared during his speech at the "Family Year Program," he mentioned that in Turkey, the fertility rate and population growth rate have fallen asymmetrically. He pointed out that the fertility rate, which was 2.38 in 2001, has dropped to 1.51.
President Erdoğan also mentioned that the annual population growth rate has decreased to 1.1 per thousand, that the child and youth population is decreasing, and that for the first time in history, the elderly population has exceeded 10%. He added that the average age is nearing 34, stating, "Although we are not yet at the level of Europe and other developed countries, we are unfortunately aging in terms of population."
"WE WILL TAKE DETERMINED STEPS TO STRENGTHEN THE FAMILY INSTITUTION"
President Erdoğan stated that the opposition does not see or hear the cries rising from countries battling the social disaster caused by LGBT issues, saying, "By hiding behind a false concept of freedom, they are placing a time-bomb within our national structure. Can you imagine, looking at recent developments in the United States... ‘It’s only made up of men and women,’ who says that? Trump. Of course, what else could be expected from a structure that has institutionalized theft, corruption, audacity, and even sexual harassment within its party organizations and municipalities? We will take determined steps to strengthen the family institution against the invasion, corruption, and occupation of our national structure by perverse movements. We are openly expressing our sensitive stance on this issue at every opportunity."
Recalling the establishment of the "Family Institute" and "Population Policies Council" under the Ministry of Family and Social Services, President Erdoğan shared that the interest-free loan support given to newlyweds within the Family and Youth Fund has been implemented in all 81 provinces.
"WE DO NOT SEE THE EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN AS THE WEAKENING OF THE FAMILY"
President Erdoğan, recalling the increase in birth assistance, stated, "We will implement new projects, regulations, and practices that will strengthen the family institution, make it easier for young people to start families, and eliminate threats and dangers to the family. We do not view the empowerment of women as the weakening or diminishing of the family. On the contrary, we view women’s determination and decisiveness as supporting the family. Therefore, we have never engaged in politics over women; we have always preferred to do politics with women, for women, and together for our country and nation. God willing, we will continue on this path. Despite the CHP, which has shown time and again that it is an enemy of women and families, and the chauvinistic mentality of CHP that belittles women and views them only as decorative items, with God’s permission, we will achieve this together."
At the end of the meeting, when asked by a journalist whether he would give a second-round meeting to the DEM Party delegation, President Erdoğan responded, "(AK Party Group) My colleagues will meet with them, I will also meet if it is requested. The Group Chairman is currently handling it. If I am asked, I will meet too."