Statements from President Erdoğan
The Presidential Cabinet Meeting has ended. Statements from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who appeared before the cameras after the meeting.
The highlights from President Erdoğan's statements are as follows:
"OUR CONCERNS HAVE BEEN PROVEN TO BE JUSTIFIED"We continue our struggle to build a great and powerful Turkey day and night with patience. We consulted with the German President on many issues such as the fight against terrorism, irregular migration, our citizens' visa problems, and issues concerning the Turkish community in Germany. We were drawing attention to far-right movements such as those against immigrants and those against Islam. Unfortunately, our concerns were proven right in many recent elections. One of the reasons for this is that the European center politics cannot correctly read the spirit of the times. Liberal democracy, which was the charm of the past century, has entered a serious crisis and bottleneck. Liberal democracy has now lost its former power, reputation, and influence.
"WE ARE CAREFULLY FOLLOWING THE DEVELOPMENTS TO AVOID POSING A THREAT TO EUROPEAN TURKS AND MUSLIMS"Politics, like life, does not tolerate a vacuum. This is the situation in the West. Far-right demagogues are filling the gaps in the last elections in Europe. Western institutions and leaders who watched the massacre of more than 61 thousand civilians failed the humanitarian test in Gaza. Far-right movements have become the determining factors of politics in Europe today. We attach great importance to the peace and well-being of our citizens who have been living in Europe for 4-5 generations. We are following the developments carefully so that the far-right reality does not pose a threat to European Turks and Muslims.
"THE EU NEEDS TURKEY"We care that our relations with the EU have recently been regaining their old rhythm. Only Turkey can save the EU from the impasse it has fallen into, from economy to defense, from politics to international reputation, and Turkey's full membership in the union. The sooner the EU confronts these facts, the better it will be for them. As always, we are thinking of advancing the membership process with a constructive understanding, based on mutual benefit and respect. The EU and the countries that paved the way for the union need to stop insisting on wrongdoings.
"WE WILL CONTINUE TO EMBRACE THE WHOLE WORLD"As Turkey, we will continue to fix one leg of the compass on Ankara with a 360-degree perspective and embrace the entire world with the other. Our visit, which included Malaysia, Indonesia and Pakistan, the shining stars of the regions with a total population of nearly 650 million, was extremely productive. We further strengthened our commercial, economic, cultural, defense and human relations. It was already impossible not to be moved by the attention and affection shown to us and our delegation, and the flood of love that overflowed into the streets. We were received very warmly by the people. Tens of thousands of people greeted us with red flags in their hands.
As an honorable son of this country, we welcomed the compliments emphasizing Turkey’s strengthening role in the Islamic world. One of the memorable aspects of our visit was our national electric car, TOGG, which we presented to the leaders of all three countries. Beyond being a gift, TOGG has become a symbol of the new Turkey. Those who have a problem with every stage of TOGG, from its initial idea to its production, were disturbed by the TOGGs presented to the leaders.
"THE SEDAN MODEL WILL ALSO BE LAUNCHED IN THE MARKET IN THE SUMMER MONTHS"Everyone who eats the bread of this country, breathes its air and drinks its water should be proud of this visit. Nowhere in the world would the opposition be dissatisfied with photographs that create national pride. We also have a destructive opposition that has never recovered. What can we say, this is our test. More than 52 thousand TOGGs are currently on the road. Hopefully, the sedan model will also be released in the summer months. Serious progress has been made in the work of the electric vehicle production facility and R&D center that the Chinese company will establish in Manisa with an investment of 1 billion dollars.
Considering that more than 17 million electric vehicles were sold in the world in 2024, the importance of these investments will be seen more clearly. Another Chinese company is currently doing it in Samsun. It has completed its preparations, and we will see the foundation of this brand laid in Samsun in a very short time. We will continue to work to make Turkey the focus of high-tech investments.
"WE DISCUSSED THE 2030 INDUSTRY AND STRATEGY IN TODAY'S CABINET MEETING"The Reform Program of the Turkish Century, which we announced yesterday, was prepared with great care. Our reform program will also provide our country with a different horizon in advanced technology investments. We will take Turkey to the top league with the reform program we built on 5 basic pillars. We discussed the 2030 industry and strategy in today's cabinet meeting. We evaluated the $7 billion budgets to be implemented in the areas of mobility, petrochemicals, defense and solar energy.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WARWe completed our party's congress marathon that started on October 12 yesterday. We conducted an exemplary congress process that brought credibility to Turkish democracy. God willing, we will focus more on foreign reception and contacts abroad from now on. Last week, we hosted Mr. Zelensky in our country. Today, we also received Mr. Lavrov. We find these visits important at a time when diplomatic efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war are intensifying.
We have developed good relations with both countries without falling into the trap that the opposition wants to pull us into. We hosted direct negotiations between the two countries in Istanbul in March 2022. We launched the Black Sea Grain Initiative. We ensured that 33 thousand tons of grain reached world markets via the Turkish Straits. Thus, we prevented the global food crisis.
"UKRAINE SHOULD ALSO BE INVITED TO NEGOTIATIONS"We welcome in principle the will of the American President Mr. Trump to end the war through negotiations. The following fact should not be ignored here; the path to a just and lasting peace can be opened with an equation in which all relevant parties are represented. Except for the Istanbul process, Russia has been excluded from the tables set up to date and the desired result has not been achieved. Ukraine should also be invited to the negotiations. I have expressed our fair stance on this issue to both Mr. Zelensky, Mr. Macron and Mr. Lavrov.
Our region is now saturated with blood, tears and conflict. We want this war, which has cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and made both countries pay a heavy price, to end now. As a state that has earned the trust of every country with its balanced attitude, we will do our best for a permanent and just peace. We will not compromise on the issues of our Gazan brothers living in peace in their own lands, the security of Lebanon and the territorial integrity of Syria, and we will stand by our brothers with all our means.
"WE ARE TAKING ALL NECESSARY MEASURES AGAINST THOSE WHO ARE PURSUING OPPORTUNITIES BEFORE RAMADAN"We are in the excitement, hope and happiness of approaching the month of mercy, forgiveness and abundance, Ramadan. We will start the month of Ramadan by realizing the first tarawih and making the first toss next Friday. I congratulate our citizens on the holy month of Ramadan in advance. I wish a blessed Ramadan to our brothers abroad and in different parts of the world who have pinned their hopes on our country.
We are taking and will take all necessary measures against those who seek opportunism before Ramadan. Our ministries are working hard to prevent the greedy from casting a shadow over our nation's Ramadan joy. We all know very well that Ramadan opportunism is a serious moral and conscience issue rather than an economic issue.
These opportunists who have not benefited from our ancient Ahi culture are doing the greatest harm to our companies that earn their money lawfully. With the support of our nation, we will not let this opportunism, which increases the prices of fire extinguishers when there is a fire, iron and cement when there is an earthquake, water when the weather is dry, and vegetables and fruits when it snows for a day or two, breathe a sigh of relief. Considering its importance today, free market does not mean disorder. We will continue to take the necessary legal and administrative steps with the ministries, SPK, Competition Authority, Tax Inspection Board.
Habertürk
