President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan answered the questions of press members at the Presidential Complex before the ceremony for the presentation of Ambassador Vasyl Bodnar of Ukraine’s letter of credence.
Upon the question "Today marks the 19th anniversary of the November 3 victory and your coming into power. What do you wish to convey about today?", President Erdoğan said, "We have reached these days with the favour of our nation over the last 19 years, and our path of service continues to improve without disruption. We have provided infrastructure, superstructure, and a wide range of services to every corner of our nation, and our service marathon has always proceeded in the same manner. In this regard, we have not weakened."
President Erdoğan said that they continued their service marathon not only in Türkiye but also in other countries across the world throughout this period. President Erdoğan stated, "As you can see, we go across continents" by recalling that he had visited several nations in Africa and Latin America, as well as the United States, on numerous occasions.
Noting that they transmitted Türkiye's message to these regions, President Erdoğan said, "We introduced our country to these areas which were unfamiliar with us, and this promotion process is ongoing."
“A monument for the future generations”
Emphasising the significance of the completion of the Türkevi in 4.5 years, in New York, USA, directly across from the United Nations, President Erdoğan said, “The fact that we have established such a brand there is incredibly crucial not just for us, but for the future generations as well. All of this will truly be a monument for future generations, not for us.”
President Erdoğan added that investments such as high-speed trains, Marmaray, Eurasia Tunnel, Yavuz Sultan Selim and Osmangazi Bridges, and Istanbul-Izmir highway were unforgettable endeavours.
President Erdoğan referred to the highway extending from Samsun to Sarp in the Black Sea region as another masterpiece.
Stating that the number of airports increased from 26 to 56 during the AK Party's rule, President Erdoğan said, "We had a much more important step in addition to these airports: we had 6,100 kilometres of roads, these were not highways or the like, we increased them to around 28 thousand kilometres."
"Currently, we do not have a province where we do not have a university"
Recalling that there were 76 universities when they came to power, President Erdoğan said, "We have increased the number of universities from 76 to 207. Currently, we do not have a province where we do not have a university. We have universities in every province. Therefore, our children in all provinces of Anatolia will no longer leave for Istanbul from Hakkari or elsewhere to go to university. They will study at the university in Hakkari, they will study in Şırnak, or they will study in Van."
Stating that there was no city without a hospital and that they equipped every region with city hospitals, President Erdoğan made the following assessments:
"Can there be any better service than these? What would it have been like if we had not had these hospitals during the coronavirus period? During the coronavirus pandemic period, we overcame many difficulties thanks to these hospitals. The same is true for energy... Currently, Türkiye has overcome many difficulties in the energy sector. Particularly, as soon as we finalize the step we have taken regarding natural gas in the Black Sea and start harvesting natural gas from these areas, I hope to give the good news. But, first, a little patience... As soon as we extract natural gas from there, I hope the advantages will flow not just into the state's treasury, but also into the pocket of my fellow citizens."
In the post he shared on his Twitter account on the occasion of the 19th anniversary of the AK Party's founding, President Erdogan said, "We will continue to work non-stop on the way of serving our nation and walk the path together with our nation, as we have done since November 3, 2002."
President Erdoğan's message on the 19th anniversary of the foundation of the AK Party