President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said: "The decision of Hatay, the centre of brotherhood and tolerance that has been home to ancient civilizations for centuries, to join Türkiye has strengthened our national unity and integrity."
President Erdoğan issued a message on the occasion of the 82nd anniversary of Hatay's joining the homeland Türkiye.
Stating that "the decision of Hatay, the centre of brotherhood and tolerance that has been home to ancient civilizations for centuries, to join Türkiye has strengthened our national unity and integrity", President Erdoğan noted the following in his message:
"This decision, adopted on its own will by the Hatay National Assembly, was an indicator of trust in our country and once again reaffirmed our country's peaceful and law-abiding identity in the international community. We are taking firm steps forward into the future with the same tenacity and determination as we have in the past, uniting around our shared values. With these thoughts in mind, I congratulate the anniversary of Hatay's joining the homeland Türkiye and commemorate with mercy and gratitude those who exerted efforts for this national cause, especially Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and the then President of Hatay, Tayfur Sökmen. I wholeheartedly salute the people of Hatay and all our citizens."