"We Trust and Support Our Youth in Every Field of Life"
"We Trust and Support Our Youth in Every Field of Life"
President Erdoğan, in his speech at the 7th Ordinary Congress of the AK Party Youth Branch, stated, "We are building a Turkey where our youth can live comfortably and express themselves freely, together with you, our young people. We trust and support our youth in every field of life."
President and AK Party Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended the AK Party Youth Branch 7th Ordinary Congress held at the Ankara Indoor Sports Hall and delivered a speech. Extending his warm greetings to all young security forces defending the homeland both within and beyond the borders, President Erdoğan also saluted, on behalf of AK Youth, the brave youth of Palestine and Gaza who resist Israeli state terrorism, and the revolutionary youth of Syria who brought an end to Baath oppression with an epic victory.
Remembering with mercy all the heroes and young people who fell in the treacherous attacks of terrorist organizations, President Erdoğan prayed for Allah's mercy for Abdullah Tayyip Olçok, Mahir Ayabakan, Mutlucan Kılıç, and all other young martyrs who bravely faced the bullets of FETO traitors on the night of July 15.
"YOU ARE THE FUTURE OF THIS NATION, ITS BRIGHT TOMORROWS"
Reciting Abdurrahim Karakoç's poem "Message to the Youth," President Erdoğan said: "Dear youth; this is your path, your purpose, your goal, your horizon. Your horizon is the horizon of Hoca Ahmet Yesevi. Your horizon is the horizon of Yunus Emre and Hacı Bektaş-ı Veli. Your horizon is the horizon of Bilge Khans and Alparslans. Your horizon is the horizon of Fatih Sultan Mehmet, who said, 'Either I conquer Istanbul or Istanbul conquers me,' and Yavuz Sultan Selim, who brought the world to its knees. Your horizon is the horizon of great statesmen whose wisdom could not be contained in political treatises, all of whom we remember with mercy today. Your horizon is the horizon of the brave heroes of independence and the future, the martyrs, and the veterans. Your horizon is the horizon of the Kuva-yi Milliye. Your horizon is the horizon of the Anatolian alp warriors, dervishes, akhis, and bacis who made these lands a homeland. Your horizon is the horizon of our writers, scholars, and sages who intricately embroidered this geography and kneaded it with the dough of brotherhood."
Addressing the youth, President Erdoğan said, "Mehmet Akif's dream of 'Asım's Generation' is realized in you. Üstat Necip Fazıl's 'Ideal Youth Dream' is interpreted through you. The late Sezai Karakoç's 'Resurrection Generation' finds its embodiment in you." He continued: "The dreams of our cause devotees, who dedicated their lives to the exaltation of Allah's word, are coming true in you. You are all at the age when Fatih conquered Istanbul. You must all be in the spirit and faith of Fatih when he conquered Istanbul. Remember, each of you is a Turkey in your own right. You are the future of this nation, its bright tomorrows. You are the hope of liberation for the oppressed, the powerful voice of the free world. You are not just the future of Turkey but also the resurrection soldiers of a world plunged into oppression and darkness. You are the youth of a great country. You are the heirs of a great civilization. You are the children of a great nation with conscience, nobility, and integrity. I wholeheartedly salute each of you and congratulate you all."
Expressing his gratitude to Allah for granting him loyal, diligent, and combative companions like AK Youth, President Erdoğan also prayed for the late Betül Önderoğlu, a member of the AK Party Ankara Youth Branch Executive Board, who lost her life in a traffic accident.
Noting that a change of leadership was taking place in the youth branch today, President Erdoğan congratulated İzmir Deputy Eyyüp Kadir İnan, who successfully served as the youth branch chairman for four years, for his significant contributions both within the party and the youth branch. He also congratulated Yusuf İbiş, who took over the youth branch chairmanship, expressing his heartfelt belief that İbiş would fulfill this duty admirably. President Erdoğan also acknowledged and praised previous youth branch chairmen.
"WE ARE SHAPING THE FUTURE OF OUR NATION TOGETHER WITH OUR YOUTH"
President Erdoğan emphasized that they are building a Turkey where young people can live comfortably and express themselves freely, together with the youth.
Stating that they trust and support young people in every field of life, President Erdoğan said that despite all objections from those who view youth as "window dressing," they lowered the eligibility age for election first from 30 to 25 and then to 18, rejuvenating politics.
President Erdoğan noted: "While some say, 'Youth cannot do it, youth cannot handle it,' we, on the contrary, say, 'Only the youth can accomplish this, only the youth can do it,' and placed the children of this country at the center of our policies. Together with you, our youth, we are shaping the future of our nation, which Üstat Necip Fazıl described as 'those gathered around a center of faith.' In our youth branch, which we see as a school, a youth is growing up that is passionate about this country and nation, deeply connected to its independence and future, knowledgeable, cultured, ethical, virtuous, and equipped. A youth is coming with thunderous steps, a youth with a sense of cause ethics, who, when asked 'Who is there?' responds without looking left or right, 'I am here,' and says, 'Where I am not, no one is.'"
"WE HAVE MOBILIZED ALL OUR RESOURCES FOR OUR YOUTH"
President Erdoğan stated that four of the five youngest members of parliament, the manifestation of national will in the Grand National Assembly, represent the people from the ranks of the AK Party, working and striving for the youth, and being the voice of their demands.
Noting that the AK Party Youth Branch Organization, with nearly 1 million members, now surpasses the population of 37 countries registered with the United Nations, President Erdoğan said: "This number is higher than the total membership of many political parties in Turkey. In just the last four years, 700,000 young people joined our party's youth branch. They said, 'I am also part of the cause of serving the nation.' The AK Party Youth Branch, thankfully, brings together young people whose hearts beat for their country and nation, strengthening our ideal of a great and powerful Turkey. I want to emphasize and proclaim this truth once again today; this youth is not a rootless, soulless, unconscious youth that defaces Istanbul's walls with writings like 'Oppression began in 1453.' This youth is not a vandal youth that burns and destroys streets, loots the property of shopkeepers because a few trees were relocated."
President Erdoğan stated that this youth is not a deceived youth that shoots at soldiers, throws Molotov cocktails, stones, and bottles at the police, adding: "This youth is not a heartless youth that mocks the pain of our families the day after we lost 78 lives on a black day. This youth is not a youth filled with hatred, anger, and resentment towards its own state and people. On the contrary, this youth is a youth that holds 1453 in high esteem. This youth is a youth that embraces the spirit of conquest and Fatih Sultan Mehmet. This youth is a national youth in love with its flag, its homeland, its independence, and its future."
Expressing that he sees before him the youth to whom they can entrust the future with peace of mind, President Erdoğan said, "I feel the pride of seeing such a youth, for whose upbringing I have devoted my life, coming like an unstoppable torrent."
President Erdoğan thanked all the young people who play a role in building a great and powerful Turkey and who are moving towards the goals of the Turkey Century without stopping, resting, and with strong steps, saying, "May Allah protect you and safeguard you from all evil."
Stating that they have always stood by the youth not only in the field of rights and freedoms but also in other areas, President Erdoğan continued his speech as follows: "For 22 years, while growing and developing our country in every field, we have also mobilized all our resources for our youth. In 2002, there were only 76 universities in our country. We opened 132 new universities, increasing the number of universities to 208. When we came to power, the number of youth centers was only 9; today, this number has reached 522. We increased the number of higher education dormitories from 190 to 862. We have provided comfortable, safe, and modern dormitories with a capacity of nearly one million beds for our students. In 2002, undergraduate students received 45 lira, graduate students 90 lira, and doctoral students 135 lira in scholarships and student loans. Today, we provide 3,000 lira to undergraduate students, 6,000 lira to graduate students, and 9,000 lira to doctoral students in scholarships and loan support."
"TURKEY WILL WRITE EPICS WITH THE EFFORTS OF ITS YOUTH"
President Erdoğan stated that 22 years ago, the total number of academic staff in universities was 70,000, and today this number has exceeded 184,000.
Expressing that they have opened the doors of higher education institutions to international students from different countries around the world, President Erdoğan said, "In 2002, the number of international students was 15,505, while today we have nearly 340,000 guest students from over 190 countries. The recent events in Syria remind us of what international students mean for a country's soft power."
President Erdoğan noted that international students who studied in Turkey are now serving their own people as ministers, high-level bureaucrats, politicians, businessmen, and academics, adding: "If we had given credence to the racist rabble, we would have been deprived of these goodwill ambassadors in many places from Syria to Africa. But despite this unruly mob that harbors hatred towards everyone but themselves, we supported international student mobility in education. These are just the beginning. We will, God willing, see the positive results of this policy more clearly in the future in every field from economy to trade, diplomacy to human relations. Even if some still do not understand, look, in 5, 10, 20 years, we will be talking about a very different Turkey on a global scale. Another area where we have expanded opportunities for our youth is sports. The number of youth and sports facilities in 2002 was only 1,575. We built new football fields, athletics tracks, semi and full Olympic swimming pools, sports halls, stadiums, and youth centers, increasing this number to 4,456."
Stating that they encouraged high school and university students to develop new products and projects by launching the domestic and national technology initiative TEKNOFEST, President Erdoğan expressed his pride in seeing young engineers working in over 3,500 companies in the defense industry.
President Erdoğan said, "Today, our youth are taking leading roles in many strategic projects, from our national combat aircraft KAAN to unmanned aerial vehicles. God willing, this number will increase even more in the coming years. The Turkish defense industry will rise on your shoulders. Turkey will, God willing, write epics with the efforts of its youth. The century we are in will, God willing, be the Turkey Century. I have not the slightest doubt about this. I believe this with all my heart."
"WE WILL ELEVATE BROTHERHOOD TOGETHER"
President Erdoğan emphasized that they will continue to work for a Turkey where young people live side by side in peace, harmony, and brotherhood, and they will carry on this struggle together with the youth.
Using the phrase "We will overcome obstacles together," President Erdoğan said, "We will tear up dirty scenarios together. We will face attacks together. We will elevate brotherhood together. We will grow Turkey together. We will walk together towards the bright days of the future. While others try to divide and separate, we will strive to unite, embrace, and bring together the youth of this country on common ground, as we do in this hall today."
President Erdoğan stated that as long as Allah grants him life and the youth stand by him, they will continue to serve Turkey and the nation with love, enthusiasm, and sacrifice.
President Erdoğan said, "I wholeheartedly congratulate each of you for your passion, enthusiasm, and devotion, and I kiss your eyes. May Allah preserve our unity, solidarity, strength, and brotherhood. I wish that our Youth Branch Congress, held in a festive atmosphere, will once again be a source of goodness for our party, our cause, our country, and our youth."
Thanking the party members who handed over their duties at the congress, President Erdoğan also wished success to the newly appointed party members.