Delivering a speech during the Opening Ceremony of North Marmara Highway Kınalı-Odayeri Section (from Kınalı to Çatalca Junction), President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan congratulated all women on March 8, International Women’s Day, and sent his greetings to Diyarbakır mothers who have been waiting, since September 3, with the hope of reuniting with their children abducted by the separatist terrorist organization.
Speaking at the event organized by the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services in Istanbul, Erdoğan said they shared the joy and excitement of women coming from all over the 81 provinces, and, on this occasion, he expressed his gratitude to the women who with their struggle supported the development and growth of Turkey.
President Erdoğan said Turkey’s women continued to make history just like they did in the past, and added, “The women of Turkey, with their presence, pave the way for the growth of our country in all fields, from the business world to education, from family to science, the arts, and politics. Thank God, heroines like Nene Hatun, Sister Şerife, Halide Edip, Sergeant Halime, Melike Hatun, and Kara Fatma have never been missing in this land.”
Aybike teacher and Sergeant Esma, who were heinously martyred by the terrorist organization, are the flag-bearers of the war of independence and hundreds of women flagrantly massacred both within and outside our borders, Erdoğan said, and continued:
"A century ago, we carried this country to independence by fighting shoulder to shoulder as women and men. It was also our women’s sacrifices which brought our Republic to these days. We have liberated our women despite those refusing to give women the value they deserve, discriminating against them based on their attire and seeking to exclude them from social life. Thank God, we have eliminated those oppressive and discriminatory policies that did not fit Turkey and the struggle of our women that spanned centuries. We will not allow the fascist mentality which isolates and marginalizes our women. Together with our women, we will carry Turkey to far brighter days. We will achieve our 2023 goals and our 2053 and 2071 visions together with our women."
Canal Istanbul
Highlighting that they would not stop until they brought Turkey to the level it deserved in the fields of transportation, industry, production, trade, healthcare, and education as well as culture Erdoğan continued his words as follows:
"Undoubtedly, the project, which is dubbed the “Project of the Century” and I call my ‘crazy project’, will be tendered as soon as possible. We have conducted all kinds of surveys regarding this project, which we shared with our people in 2011 for the first time, including geological, geotechnical, and hydrological researches, wave and earthquake analyses. Over 200 scientists from 11 different universities, various public institutions and 34 different scientific disciplines have examined this project to date. Our Ministries are closely following the process regarding Canal Istanbul. Canal Istanbul is such an important project that cannot be left to the mercy of some circles, which have a narrow horizon, limited and shallow vision, and are captive of their prejudices. In addition to other contributions, this project will have a multiplier effect on the strategic power of Turkey, too. We know no boundaries and no barriers to serving Istanbul and Turkey, and avoid giving credit to any excuses."
Erdoğan stated that they cared about what the people said and wanted rather than a handful of people with ideological obsessions and not willing to serve people, saying "Our sole concern is to provide works that will serve this country for years, our whole concern is to create works that will serve our grand nation for years. We are therefore determined to give Canal Istanbul to our country, which will ease the burden on Bosporus and enhance the brand value of our city, in cooperation with the public and private sectors as well as our citizens, although some circles do not want that.”
President Erdoğan expressed that roads meant civilization in their view of politics, and underlined that roads meant transportation, industry, production, tourism, trade, security and development.
Indicating that roads meant integration with the world, Erdoğan said, "They mean integration with our region from Asia to Europe. You cannot ensure economic welfare unless you have a robust, strong and broad transportation infrastructure. Great civilizations can only be founded on great roads, and you need to have great goals as well as pecuniary resources for that."
"29.5-km road will bring prosperity to the entire region"
Erdoğan expressed hope that the 29.5-km road they inaugurated would bring prosperity to the entire region and underlined that Turkey was a great and strong country with its history, culture, population of 83 million people and also economic and military capability.
Erdoğan also stated that Turkey was a country, which had been unable to activate its enormous potential that had been disturbed for many years, and made the following remarks:
“They have said to us for many years that ‘you cannot do and accomplish that.’ They have also told us not to “produce and invest in industry and advanced technology.’ Have we produced our automobile? Have we built our unmanned aerial vehicles in the defense industry? Do we have the unmanned aerial vehicle and armed unmanned aerial vehicle? We struggled against them in Idlib. We did not expect it from somewhere else but fought against them. They have tried by every means necessary to discourage and demoralize the nation, but the nation said, ‘we can do it’ and they did it. God willing, the third one, namely, Akıncı is coming. Once we accomplish Akıncı, we will become stronger. They have done this mostly through their internal recruitment and stooges within us.”
Underlining that whenever Turkey made a move on the way to democracy, development, and welfare, some people immediately stepped in, Erdoğan said, “The fight put up by the late Menderes by working day and night for a decade has been disrupted due to the military coup of May 27. Similarly, many politicians ranging from the late Özal to our scholar Erbakan and Türkeş, who love their country and nation, have been targeted by specific circles. All sorts of attempts from creating turmoil on streets to coups have been tried in order to prevent our country from developing and strengthening. Now there is the FETO trouble, and isn’t it the same? What was July 15? As you know, they were slapped as is required, weren’t they? They will not be able to resort to such means easily from now on.”