Making a speech at the meeting, President Erdoğan underlined that it is not possible to speak of a physical underdevelopment in the cities of Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia, nor in any of the other cities of Turkey. Noting that Turkey is surrounded by ongoing or potential crises in its region, President Erdoğan stated that the country is working to be an island of peace and stability in such a difficult geography.
“We saw the plot staged in Syria and changed the course of events by entering the field”
Pointing to the strong defiance displayed by Turkey against the plots staged in Egypt and elsewhere in North Africa, President Erdoğan emphasized that Turkey noticed the plot staged in Iraq and Syria, as well. The President said: “We saw the plot staged in Syria and changed the course of events by entering the field. In a similar vein, we are displaying a principled stance against the plots staged in the East Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the Balkans. As the plots in the works of which we have thrown a spanner hit a brick wall one by one, the animosity against us grows harsher, too. They now want to make us pay for it. We ask you to support us for this struggle of ours, not for an ordinary rivalry.”