President and Justice and Development (AK) Party Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made a speech at the AK Party's 19th Establishment Anniversary Celebration held at the 75. Yıl Park in Mamak. Erdoğan stated that the day when the Party was officially established changed the future of Turkey along with the region and the world.
Expressing gratitude on behalf of his person, family and nation to everyone who served at the ranks of AK Party since its establishment, who set their hearts on the Party and who stood up for the cause of AK Party, Erdoğan also wished Allah's mercy upon those who passed away from among his brothers and sisters with whom he walked together in the past 19 years.
"Thank you all, all around Turkey and world, who sincerely pray for the success of AK Party for 19 years” said Erdoğan and stated that the Party was established with the aim of Allah's approval, the nation’s support, the ummah’s prayers, and the humanity’s love, and that it has come with the same understanding since then.
"It is our nation towards whom we are responsible directly"
Explaining that it was exactly the nation themselves who were the founders of the Party, Erdoğan said, "Everybody in our Party who has a duty at any level, including primarily myself, knows that their responsibility is directly towards our nation and in accordance with this they act. There are of course those people in these times, too, just as there have been throughout the history, who have their self-fulfilling prophecies and who have left the path of serving for the nation for that of pursuing personal interests and benefits, but each one of them has faced with this truth in this course in a very short time and had to take their places in the dusty shelves of the history.
Erdoğan further noted that AK Party is a party of such nature that its works and stance, from its establishment to the present day, made the Turkish nation's dreams come true, revived the great Muslim ummah's hopes, and opened new doors for all humanity.
“We are mobilizing all means for regional and global peace and justice"
Noting that they mobilized all means and continued to assume the utmost responsibility for global peace and justice, Erdoğan stressed that the Turkish nation would collaborate to build a Turkey in accordance with the 2023 goals as well as the 2053 and 2071 vision.
“So long as Turkey crowns its efforts for human rights and development with new achievements, it will become a center of stability and power not only within its borders but also in its region and the world. AK Party will be the one to accomplish it.” Erdoğan said.
“They had all terrorist organizations attack us”
Reiterating that some people tried to occupy the streets with Gezi incidents, usurp the national will with the security-judicial coup attempt of December 17/25 and divide neighbourhoods with ditch operations, Erdoğan stated the following:
“From the PKK to Daesh, they had all terrorist organizations furiously attack us. When these were not enough, they dared a coup attempt on July 15. With the operations carried out by us in northern Iraq, Syria, Libya and Eastern Mediterranean, we gave our response to these attacks in a way they can understand. We responded to them also today and said, 'Don’t you dare attack our Oruç Reis. If you attack our Oruç Reis, you will pay a heavy price' and today they got the first answer. They put the economy, which is the invisible dagger of every attack, more strongly in the triangle of the exchange rate, interest and inflation. We have strengthened our economy by taking the necessary measures in this regard. "
Erdoğan added that the incidents that happened during the novel coronavirus pandemic obviously revealed the importance of Turkey’s infrastructure in all areas from education to health and transportation to agriculture.
“Our domestic vehicle will be manufactured by the end of 2022”
Stating that they have implemented prestigious projects such as TANAP and Turkstream in the field of energy and they had had the chance to realize Turkey’s 60-year dream of a domestic vehicle, Erdoğan said, “God willing, our vehicle will be manufactured by the end of 2022 and our country will become one of the leading countries in the world in terms of electric vehicles."
Erdoğan stated that when the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and its impacts were over, Turkey would enter a new era, adding, “I believe that this new era will be the era of advancement.”
"Per capita income has reached 9 thousand 127 American dollars"
Stating that the international direct investments had not been received by Turkey until 2002, Erdoğan said that they have brought the country to a level that attracted 23 billion American dollars of international investment in just one year. Erdoğan noted the following:
“While the interest rates and the inflation rate rose to double-digit figures again, economic growth lost momentum to some extent. However, thanks to the determined steps we took, we ensured that our economy continued on its way stronger. Hence, when compared to the end of 2019, we are many times above the numbers of 2002 in every field. Our national income has increased from 236 billion American dollars to 754 billion American dollars, and our per capita income has increased from 3 thousand 500 American dollars to 9 thousand 127 American dollars."
"Direct investments exceeded 217 billion American dollars as of the end of 2019"
Underlining that Turkey was the world's 17th largest economy according to purchasing power parity in 2002 and then it had risen to the level of the 13th largest economy of the world, President Erdoğan shared the following data:
"We took our exports above 180 billion American dollars. We increased our exports in the field of service from 14 billion American dollars to 65 billion American dollars. In tourism, we reached a high number of 52 million tourists in 2019. Our most severe loss was in this field because of the coronavirus. Thus, we have become the 6th country in the world hosting the highest number of tourists. And thanks to this strong momentum in our tourism sector, our current account has had a surplus for the first time since 2001. Direct investments in our country since 2002 have exceeded 217 billion American dollars as of the end of 2019. The total reserve of the Central Bank remained over 106 billion American dollars in 2019, despite everything. The ratio of public debt stock to national income decreased from 72.1 percent to 32.8 percent. The ratio of budget deficit to national income also decreased to 2.9 percent.
"We will not forget those who attacked the nation with aircrafts, tanks and helicopters"
Stating that they regarded the congress process as the most comprehensive consultation ground along with the accountability and renewal of organizations, Erdoğan continued as follows:
"Millions of people who have devoted themselves to this movement and this cause have always stood closely in the face of many treacherous plans and have not given way to sedition. Those who try to weaken our country through coup attempts, terrorism, street violence and attacks against our economy have always confronted with our people’s foresight, courage and love of nation. We are never vengeful. We do not feel hostile to anyone, yet we will not forget any attack conducted against the national will since November 2002. We will not forget those who laid ambushes for our nation in every field from law to politics, economy to diplomacy. We will not forget those who attacked the nation with aircrafts, tanks and helicopters. We will not forget the treacherous traps set against the integrity and peace of this country, the unity and solidarity of our nation."
“We will not allow attacks against the dignity of our women”
“We neither allow our combat with violence against women to be weakened nor let a handful of marginal people damage our family values,” said President Erdoğan.
Erdoğan stated that their sensitivity towards violence against women stemmed from their approach to the concept of family as well as their respect and love for human beings.
“We neither allow our combat with violence against women to be weakened, nor let a handful of marginal people damage our family values,” Erdoğan said, adding that Turkey has the potential to create original and pioneering texts in line with its family-centred society structure that glorifies humans and human dignity thanks to its accumulation of civilization dating back to thousands of years.
President Erdoğan made the following remarks:
“We need to determine our framework instead of translated texts by taking advantage of the international corpus that has been formed up to now. Well, I was saying that we would mention ‘Ankara criteria’ rather than the 'Copenhagen criteria' and continue on our way. I also think that the recent discussion that wasted our energy and time has been deliberately reignited and some people knowingly or unknowingly added fuel to the flames. If those fuelling this fire think that we will step back from combatting the violence against women or establishing women's human rights, they should know that they will be disappointed.”
No concessions have been made to democracy for 18 years
Underlining that today they continued to provide the country with great services and important projects just like the last 18 years by making no concessions to stability and security, justice and democracy, Erdoğan added that they were working in force to ensure that peace and prosperity prevail in Turkey, where people have been living for 1,000 years in peace and fraternity.
Stating that they embraced everyone from Turkey’s east to the west and north to the south with equal sincerity and loved every inch of the land and the people with the same affection, Erdoğan stressed that they were wholeheartedly dedicated to democracy, justice, human rights and freedoms, requirements of the rule of law and the country’s ideals for the future.
