Presidency's Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun sent a video message to the opening of the symposium "The Past, Present and Future of the Turkic World", held in Bishkek, Kazakhstan’s capital, by Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University and the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic Speaking Countries (TURKPA).
Saying he hopes the event will further strengthen the strong ties among Turkic states, Altun added that they are proud to be the children of the august Turkic nation, which has established many states since the day they appeared on the historical stage, made independence the key element of their character, and closed out and ushered in new eras.
Altun said, "In 2021, we reached the 100th anniversary of some of the most important landmarks in our glorious and honourable history. On this occasion, along with our national poet Mehmet Akif Ersoy, I gratefully commemorate our ancestors and children who fell martyr or became honoured veterans in the cause of earning and maintaining our independence."
"We liberated Turkish lands of 1,000 years from enemy invasion"
Stressing that while their kin in Central Asia celebrated the 30th anniversary of their independence, the Republic of Türkiye took firm steps towards its own 100th birthday in 2023, Altun said, "However, seeing the cause of independence as a mere historical event of the past is the most serious threat to our freedom. Indeed, the bombing of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, which liberated the Turkish homeland of 1,000 years from enemy invasion, during the July 15 [2016] treacherous coup attempt was no coincidence. We have to see ongoing efforts to shut the gates of Anatolia opened by Sultan Alparslan to the Turks and the serious threats to our presence and take the necessary measures. Today, similar threats appear under various guises everywhere that Turks live, from the Balkans to the Far East. Therefore, we have to support each other in every sphere and in a brotherly way share the good and the bad with the motto 'We will unite, we will be great, we will be strong'.'"
"FETO is a huge threat to our kin in Central Asia as well"
Stating that the Republic of Türkiye under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has waged a relentless fight against domestic and foreign threats, Altun added:
"We have taken and continue to take necessary steps against the Fetullahist Terrorist Organisation (FETO), which infiltrated even our state's arteries, targeted our soldiers, and ruined the lives of innocent people. Especially since July 15, [2016] we have entered the nests of this dark structure and almost completely eliminated their facilities and capabilities within our borders. We are also taking necessary steps to ensure that high-ranking members who fled abroad do not set up new conspiracies and are brought to justice.
“Therefore, I must say that FETO is a source of evil and a huge threat not only to the citizens of the Republic of Türkiye but also to our kin in Central Asia. For this reason, we care about raising awareness of FETO in the Turkic republics. We continue to cooperate closely with relevant countries, especially Kyrgyzstan, so that young people do not fall prey to these enemies of Turks and Islam. Undoubtedly, Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University is one of the most important elements in this joint fight."
"We will crush the head of the snake of terrorism"
Altun stressed Türkiye’s continued determination in its fight against the PKK terrorist group, which threatened all 83 million of its citizens and killed tens of thousands of innocents.
Stating that especially with the cleansing of FETO elements that infiltrated the army and law enforcement, they had driven terrorists from the borders to a great extent in recent years, Altun added: "This achievement has undoubtedly been possible thanks to the strong leadership of our President and the transition to the Presidential System of Government. We will continue our legitimate fight against the separatist terrorist organisation PKK until there are no terrorists left in Syria or northern Iraq. We will crush the head of this snake which targets the territorial integrity of not only Türkiye but also our neighbours. The strong support provided by local elements that are suffering from the terror of the PKK to the counter-terrorism activities in Syria and Iraq also justifies our thesis."
"We are eliminating the crusader mentality in the Eastern Mediterranean"
Stating that Türkiye is striving to disrupt the international conspiracy aimed at confining the Turkish nation to the Gulf of Antalya in the Eastern Mediterranean, Altun said, "We break the infidel's hand attempting to touch the bosom of our temple and eliminate this crusader mentality that has resurfaced after 100 years. Türkiye's firm stance and its commitment to international law and regional stability have also led our 'neighbours across the sea' to come closer to our position. We have repeatedly stated that the energy resources of the region are the common wealth of all elements of the region, in particular the Turkish Cypriots. We continue to work to make these resources a source of peace, not conflict."
"Türkiye made these achievements despite opposition"
Altun stated that Türkiye made all these achievements despite an opposition that released disinformation and illegitimate claims fabricated abroad into circulation.
He explained, "We are struggling against a mindset which is completely out of touch with reality and which only makes foreign policy so as 'not to disturb their peace,' as that is all they understand from the expression 'Peace at home, peace in the world'. We are doing what is necessary for the national interests despite the 'evil alliance' which brings together those who say 'What's our business in Libya?' with those who say 'We rely on the [terrorist] YPG'. May Allah protect the Turkish nation from this mindset that says 'the PKK is not a threat' and insults our March of Independence as a 'racist imposition'."
"The only way to permanent peace and stability in Cyprus is a 2-state structure"
Altun stressed that the Republic of Türkiye, under the leadership of President Erdoğan, has never strayed from the path of righteousness despite tremendous pressure.
Stating that they would continue to cooperate with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in all areas and support the Turkish Cypriots in their righteous struggle, Altun remarked, "We cannot consent to the Turkish presence on the island, which they desperately targeted in the past century, to be incarcerated today under the pretence of a solution. Therefore, we believe that the only way to permanent peace and stability on Cyprus is through a two-state structure."
"We have proven to the world that we side with justice in Libya as well"
Highlighting that they have not turned down the requests of any country which sought help from Türkiye in a similar vein, Altun said, "As much as we have served peace in many regions from Bosnia to Somalia, we have also backed the legitimate government of Libya for the same reasons. As a matter of fact, through our agreements signed in 2019, the rights of not only Türkiye and Libya but several other countries in the region were put under protection as well. By repelling the foreign-backed attack of putschist [Khalifa] Haftar, the crimes of the coup-plotters against humanity were exposed. Türkiye once again thus proved to the whole world that it stands on the side of justice ".
"The joint struggle of Azerbaijan and Türkiye is a cause of pride"
Underscoring that Türkiye always stood by its kin in the Caucasus and Central Asia, Altun added:
"The most concrete indicator of our sincerity and determination in this matter is the support we have provided for the lands of Azerbaijan to be freed from Armenian occupation. The joint struggle displayed for 44 days [last fall], in both the field and the information front, is truly a source of pride for us. Institutionalising our cooperation within the body of the Türkiye-Azerbaijan Joint Media Platform, which is a symbol of this harmony, we are carrying on and will carry on with our work with the same consciousness."
"We should be cooperating much more closely."
Altun said, "In order for the Turkic world to surpass the level of contemporary civilisations as a whole, we must forge closer cooperation in the field of education and culture. In this regard, all our organisations, especially the Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University, which crown our unity of language and ideals with cultural unity, play an important role. It is our common responsibility to support the relevant institutions, especially our university, to cherish their employees and to open their way. Giving this support is necessary for a fully independent and strong Turkish world. We owe this to future generations as well."
"TURKPA sends a meaningful message to the world about our unity and solidarity"
Saying that the relationship of Türkiye with other Turkic states advanced to a higher level under the leadership of President Erdoğan, Altun commented, "We find it especially important to establish closer relations between our parliaments and legislative organs in order to strengthen our strategic cooperation. Undoubtedly, with our assemblies' contributions, which are manifestations of the national will, the ties between our citizens will be strengthened, and the friendship and solidarity of our leaders will be reflected in all dimensions of our relations. In this context, all the work done by TURKPA is appreciated by the whole nation and gives a meaningful message to the world about our unity and solidarity."
"Those who challenge our nation must learn lessons from history"
Stating that he was delighted that Mehmet Akif Ersoy, the poet of independence who wrote Türkiye’s national anthem, was commemorated on the occasion of the centenary of the March of Independence, Altun added:
"Our national anthem, woven knot by knot with the love of homeland, flag, and freedom, was recited in Parliament by Hamdullah Suphi Bey in the days when Anatolia was under enemy occupation. Who knows, those who occupied our homeland at that time could not sufficiently appreciate our nation's iron will. In the end, with our nation's extraordinary efforts and with the blood of our martyrs, we prevented the Turks from being erased from history. Those who tried to split apart our land either went to their grave or returned to their homes. Those who challenge our nation today should remember well the War of Independence when the Turks rose from the ashes and the days when our kin gained their independence, and should refrain from making the same mistakes by learning the necessary lessons from history."